Junior-high aged Lego® maniacs will have a chance to develop their skills this summer at the RoboStorm camp hosted by Northwest Technical College. On June 19-20, kids entering the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades this fall can get an introduction to the world of robotics and engineering through hands-on activities with Lego® Mindstorm robots.<\/p>\n
Campers will work in pairs and design, build and program their own robots.<\/p>\n
The day camp will be held on the Northwest Tech campus, located at 905 Grant Ave SE in Bemidji. The camp begins and 9 a.m. and concludes between 4:45 and 5 p.m. both days. Registration is $75, which includes supplies, food, activity fees, a camp t-shirt and prizes. Registration fees may be paid via check; cash payments are not accepted. Registration and payment are required by Thursday, June 7. Early registration is encouraged, as the camp has a participation limit of 24; the 2011 camp sold out.<\/p>\n
Each participant will receive an information packet via mail after NTC processes registration and payment.<\/p>\n
Day 1 of the camp will feature robot- and team-building activities, an introduction to the Mindstorms® software, a design challenge and team competitions. The second day will include a campus tour and group photo, robot building activities, a second design challenge, and a team robot-battle competition that is open to the public.<\/p>\n
Northwest Tech is offering the RoboStorm camp in partnership with the 360° Center of Excellence in Manufacturing and Applied Engineering and Northland Community and Technical College.<\/p>\n
360° is a partnership of 10 colleges and universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, with Bemidji State University as its flagship. The organization has sponsored more than 40 technology-based events for K-12 students, including technology fairs, career fairs and camps. 360° reaches out to high school and middle school age levels to inform students about jobs in manufacturing and how 360° can help them obtain the skills they need to get those jobs. The center’s goal is to excite K-12 students about science, technology, engineering, and math, and to ensure Minnesota’s future engineers and manufacturers are receiving hands-on experience at an early age.<\/p>\n