2015 STEAM Camp

11147863_1033931606631529_2392048771338701941_o

What’s small, built by girls, and fun to drive? VEX robots, of course! From June 29 to July 2, Team 1967 ran Notre Dame High School’s STEAM Camp, during which they helped students create VEX robots. ND’s STEAM Camp is a six-week summer camp that teaches middle school and high school students about the many aspects of STEAM; each year, the Janksters spend a week of this summer camp teaching the students specifically about robotics.

On June 29, 17 girls came into MLab, eager to see what they would learn about next. After a warm welcome from the Janksters, the campers formed groups and received binders with robot-building instructions. Enthusiastic and ready to learn, the girls worked quickly, with plenty of aid from the Janksters, and by June 30 most of the groups had finished building. The beginning of July also marked the beginnings of complicated robot code, as students programmed their robots to move. You had to be fast on your feet that day, as students were testing their robots out on the floor!
July 2, the last day of the robotics portion of the camp, was a real treat for the students. Before the students arrived, Team 1967 set up an obstacle course and a soccer game in the Learning Commons, giving the students plenty of space for showing off their VEX robots. The Janksters also brought out their 2015 robot, Grace, so that the students could see a large-scale, more complex version of their own robots. The rest of that day was filled with VEX robots whizzing across the Learning Commons, Grace forming stacks, and the students’ laughter as they took this all in. As the students left that day, many were excited by the idea of building large robots in high school; perhaps some of the students saw themselves as future Janksters! Team 1967 loved having the students over, and they hope to see the students again!