There are a growing number of summer camps springing up around the nation that teach robotics on an entry level. These are educational venues where young hobbyists can learn the basics and get the chance to assemble robots ranging in complexity from entry level kits to more advanced projects that embody early levels of “professional tool chains” used by programmers who have moved beyond BASIC.
Robotics summer camps help fill an essential educational gap that continues to exist in many of our schools.
Below, you'll find an expanded listing of contact information and camp lesson programs.
Check it out if you are a hobbyist, student, educator or parent who wants to know more about what opportunities are available in your area this summer!
CALIFORNIA
Kenneth Berry
Where: California State University, Northridge, Calif.
Grades: 5-10
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms
Website: www.saep.net
Robotics & Things
Where: Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Director: Neal L. Friedman
Dates: August 6-10
Ages: Two groups: 7-10 and 11-14
Platform: ROBOTIX - The Motorized, Modular, Space-Age Building System
Phone: 888-222-1809, toll-free direct line
888-ROBOTIX, toll-free info/messages line
888-746-4872, toll-free fax line
Email: robot@roboticsandthings.com (E-mail)
Website: www.roboticsandthings.com (URL)
Snail mail: P.O. Box 36, Dept. ROBOTIX
Simi Valley, CA 93062-0036
Digital Media Academy
Where: Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.
Dates: August 6-10
Ages: 9-17
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms and VEX
Phone: 866-656-3342
Email: info@digitalmediaacademy.org
Website: www.digitalmediaacademy.org/courses/robotics.html
J. Paul Wahnish
Where: East Lake High School, Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Grades: 3-10
Platform: Special designed metal kit with "Standards" curriculum
Website: www.roboticsboosters.com
GEARS Education
Where: Daytona Beach Community College, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Platform: GEARS Ed
Email: BenefiG@dbcc.edu
GEORGIA
YES! YOUTH ENGAGED IN SCIENCE
Where: Woodstock, Ga.
Grades: 1-12
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms and VEX
Phone: 770-591-6719
Website: www.yesgeorgia.com
HAWAII
RoboTech Exploration
Where: Kauai Community College in Lihue, Kauai.
Director: Art Kimura, art@higp.hawaii.edu
Grades: 3-6
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms and BrainBox. Two strands daily. One is an introduction to robotics using the LEGO Mindstorms kits/software, the other will feature students using BrainBox electronics/technology kits.
Email: art@higp.hawaii.edu
Website: www.higp.hawaii.edu/futureflight/
ILLINOIS
Business, Technology, and Life Studies
Where: Rolling Meadows High School, Rolling Hills.
Director: Mark Koch
Grades: High school
Platform: VEX
Phone: 847-718-5639
Email: mkoch@d214.org
Snail mail: 2901 Central Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Intermediate Robotics - Control & Mechanical Systems
Where: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Director: Martin Hebel
Dates: July 9-13
Grades: High school
Platform: VEX
Phone: 618-453-8806
Email: mhebel@siu.edu
Website: www.dce.siu.edu/youth/youthmain.htm
Camp: Advanced Robotics - Programming & Autonomous Robotics
Where: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Director: Martin Hebel
Dates: July 16-20
Grades: High school
Platform: VEX
Phone: 618-453-8806
Email: mhebel@siu.edu
Website: www.dce.siu.edu/youth/youthmain.htm
Elissa Milto
Where: Tufts University Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Boston
Dates: August 13-17
Grades: 1-2
Platform: LEGO bricks and ROBOLAB
Email: elissa.milto@tufts.edu
Website: ceeo.tufts.edu/content/view/67/54/
MICHIGAN
Adventure and Robotics in One Camp
Where: Ann Arbor, Bloomfield Hills, Dearborn Heights and Walled Lake
Director: Dr. George Albercook
Dates: Weeklong sessions June 25-August 25
Grade: 2-12
Platforms: Junkbots, LEGO RCX, LEGO NXT and Flutterbot
Phone: 734-645-0211
Email: Camp@RocksAndRobots.com
Website: www.RocksAndRobots.com
Snail mail: 424 Little Lake Dr. Suite #37, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Vision-based Autonomous Robotics Camp
Where: Lawrence Tech University, Southfield
Director: Dr. CJ Chung
Dates: July 23-27 (tentative)
Grades: 10-12
Platform: L2Bot with a webcam using Java
Snail mail: Lawrence Tech Univ., 21000 West 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48075
MCWTF Girls Technology Camp 2007
Where: Lawrence Tech University, Southfield
Director: Dr. CJ Chung
Grades: Girls 6-7
Dates: July 16-20
Platform: NXT using NXTG; (camp also teaches web design)
Snail mail: Lawrence Tech Univ., 21000 West 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48075
MINNESOTA
GEARS Education
Where:St Cloud Technical College, St. Cloud
Dates: Week of June 18
Grades: 6-8
Platform: GEARS Ed
Email: sfabian@sctc.edu
GEARS Education
Where: Central Lakes College, Staples
Dates: Week of July 9
Platform: GEARS Ed
Email: bkohn@clcmn.edu
GEARS Education
Where: Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis
Dates: Week of July 16
Grades: 9-12
Platform: GEARS Ed
Email: ajaedike@dunwoody.edu
Union College Robot Camp
Where: Union College, Schenectady
Dates: June 25-29
Grades: Middle and high school
Website: http://doc.union.edu/Robotcamp/Camp_07/camp_07.html
Terri Varnado, Assistant Professor of Technology Education NC State University
Where: North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, Durham
Platforms: OWI Robotikits, LEGO Mindstorms, K'Nex, Valiant Technologies Roamer Robot
Cyborg Science: Grades 3-5; July 10-14, July 17-21, July 31-August 4
Be a Robotics Engineer: Grades 6-8; June 12-16; July 24-28, August 7-11
Email: terri_varnado@ncsu.edu
Website: www.ncmls.org/education/camps.asp
PENNSYLVANIA
Robin Shoop, Director
Where: National Robotics Engineering Consortium, Pittsburgh
Grades: Middle school
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms
Website: www-education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/
Running your own robotics camp
Have you ever thought about running a robotics camp? Many teachers do exactly that every summer. It allows them to offer an extracurricular activity that excites both children and parents, helps students better understand the world in which they live, offers a unique forum to help kids learn math and science, and can even open the door for discussion of a full-time robotics class in schools.
Website: www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/content/products/feature_previews/
products/camps_on_disk/camps_on_disk.htm
PUERTO RICO
Gears Education
Where: Smart Teens Camp at Center for Innovative Technologies
Platform: GEARS Ed
Emailt: helga@engiworks.com
Website: www.gearseds.com/
LEGO and DUPLO Camps
Where: Marshall University, Huntington
Dates: July 10 -14
Ages/Grades: 4 years old to 3rd grade
Platform: DUPLO
Phone: (304) 696-7166
Email: hamilton@marshall.edu
LEGO Technology Building
Where: Marshall University, Huntington
When: July 10 -14
Grades: 3-8
Description: Build LEGO gears, pulleys, levers, wheels and axles into machines to solve a hundred challenges. Learn about engineering through hands-on experience.
Phone: (304) 696-7166
Email: hamilton@marshall.edu
Dataloggers -Build and program environmentally friendly LEGO Robots
Dates: July 31-August 4
Grades: 4 and up
Description: Students participate in small-team design projects while fostering an understanding of science and physical principles for robotics building and computer programming in RoboLab
Email: hamilton@marshall.edu
UNITED KINGDOM
GEARS Education
Where: Imperial College of London
When: July 30–August 3 for 8 and 9 year olds
August 4-11 for 6 and 7 year olds
August 12-August 25 for 11-16 year olds
Platform: GEARS Ed.
Email: Richard.Palfrey@exscitec.org
MULTIPLE STATES
iD Tech Camps in 22 states.
Ages: 7-17
Description: Weeklong day and overnight summer technology programs where students build robots, learn programming, create 2D and 3D video games, design websites, edit movies, and create zany digital comic books.
Platform: VEX
Phone: 888-709-TECH
Website: www.internalDrive.com.
CyberCamps
Grades: 5-12
Platforms: LEGO, VEX and X-1 Robots
Phone:206-442-4500 Toll Free:888-904-CAMP
Website: http://cybercamps.com/robotics.aspx
Snail mail: Giant Campus, Inc./Cybercamps, 3101 Western Ave. Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98121
TEACHER TRAINING
CALIFORNIA
Teach the Teachers
Where: Thatcher School, Ojai
Teachers: 4th-12th grade teachers
Dates: July 30–August 3
Platform: LEGO Mindstorms and VEX Systems
Website: www.teachtheteachers.org/home.html
MATE Center for Underwater Robotics
Where: Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont
Dates: July 23-30
Platform: Underwater robots
Email: Lani Clough, lclough@marinetech.org
Website: /www.marinetech.org/education/institutes.php
INDIANA
Indiana Teachers Robotics Workshops
Where: 12 Ivy Tech Community College locations: Valparaiso, South
Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Kokomo, Muncie, Terre Haute, Indianapolis,
Richmond, Bloomington, Sellersburg, and Evansville
Date: TBD June 11-August 10
Teachers: 7th-12th grade Indiana science and technology teachers
Platform: Vex
Email: dward@ivytech.edu
