NSF Regional Center of Excellence to Host Robotics & STEM Camps for Middle & High School Students

TAMPA, Fla. - March 18, 2015 - PRLog -- FLATE (http://www.fl-ate.org/), the Florida-based, National Science Foundation Regional Center of Excellence, will offer several robotics camps this summer including one exclusively for girls. All camps will be held in the student services building at Hillsborough Community College in Brandon beginning June 2015, and will center on ‘hands-on, minds-on’ exercises and challenges that showcase the applications of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and robotics in everyday high-tech manufacturing settings. Cost for each, week-long camp is $175.  This year’s schedule and list of camp offerings include:

June 15- 19:     Introductory EV3 Robotics Camp for Middle School GIRLS ONLY!

June 22-26:      Introductory EV3 Robotics Camp for ALL Middle School students

July 6-10:         Introductory EV3 Robotics Camp II for ALL Middle School students

July 13-17:       Intermediate EV3 Robotics Camp (A) for middle school students

July 20-24:       Intermediate EV3 Robotics Camp (B) for middle school students

July 27- 31:       Engineering Technology Camp for High School students

During the weeklong program, campers will build and program Lego^® Mindstorms^® EV3 Robots, and engage in different level of challenges that are educational and fun. The introductory and intermediate camps serve as a launching pad for campers to learn the basics of EV3 robots and how to program them. Campers learn how to reconfigure LEGO^® Mindstorms® EV3 robots and program them to follow specific commands. They will be part of several team-based challenges, learn about 3D printing techniques, write programs to operate the NAO humanoid robot, and tour a local high-tech manufacturing facility. The high school camp is poised to provide participants with an invigorating experience. During the high school camp, campers will use Solidworks and CAD to design a functional robotic arm. They will engage in 3D printing processes using additive manufacturing techniques, and learn to program an Arduino microprocessor to operate servo motors. With the support of Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs, the Foundation for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, the High School campers will keep the Arduino microprocessors and 3D printed projects that they manufacture during the camp.Through it all, campers gain an understanding about electronics and precision needed for building robots, learn entrepreneurial skills used by successful business owners and tour a local advanced manufacturing facility.

Desh Bagley, FLATE outreach manager and camp director says “the camps are designed to sharpen students’ skills in math, physics, witness the application of scientific principles and new technologies, and examine career and educational pathways in manufacturing and engineering technologies.” Given FLATE’s sustained commitment to spark interest of girls in STEM, FLATE is once again partnering with Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to provide scholarships for girls from low income families to attend FLATE’s robotics summer camps.

There are fourteen scholarships that will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. To qualify for the scholarship fill out the registration form that can be downloaded at http://fl-ate.org/projects/camps.html. One scholarship priority/preference will be given per camper interested in attending the “Girls Only” robotics camps from June 15-19. However scholarships will also be considered for eligible girls interested in attending the other weeks of camp.

FLATE will also be hosting several robotics camps offsite and around the state. The Institute for Human and Machine Cognitions in Ocala, FL, has been hosting robotics camps modeled after FLATE’s robotics camp for the past four years, and will host two camps in July 2015. Palm Beach State College will also be hosting several robotics camps as part of its summer youth camp. FLATE will once again extend support to its regional partners to host robotics camps in Citrus, Columbia, Levy, Marion and Sarasota counties. Additional information about these camps, dates and locations are posted on FLATE’s camp website at www.fl-ate.org/projects/camps.html, and www.madeinflorida.org.

Additionally, FLATE is developing a summer camp curriculum for the EV3. The curriculum package will include all challenges, lessons, and PowerPoints needed to run a five day camp. More information on this will be available later this year. You can also contact Desh Bagley at camps@fl-ate.org and Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.

FLATE is a National Science Foundation Regional Center of Excellence, committed to ensuring Florida has a well prepared workforce for advanced and emerging technologies. Created in 2004, FLATE is one of 39 Advanced Technological Education Centers in the United States funded by the National Science Foundation focused on improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and training to meet the needs of American advanced technology industries. For more information visit www.fl-ate.org.