Camp creates a new generation of award-winning robotics students

A new generation of award-winning robotics students took shape at a Velocity Jr. camp for junior high school students.

Crevolution - one of two Utica Community Schools FIRST robotics teams that has qualified for international competitions - hosted a one-week camp to create excitement for STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) among 14 junior high school students.

“We want them to be excited about STEM and show them the many career options that it opens for them,” said Crevolution member Ashley Gee.

Gee and fellow Utica Academy for International Studies student Benjamin Schroder organized the week-long camp at Velocity Jr.

The camp used the First Tech Challenge resources that allows students to use a kit supplied by FIRST to engineer and build a robot that will compete in an athletic-type competition.

Schroder said the camp shows participants “real world experiences” in STEM-related careers that also focuses on innovation, teamwork and problem solving.

“We will guide them, but it is important that they are the ones doing the work,” he said.

Students in the camp said they plan to use the skills they are learning next year at their junior high schools.

Katelyn Swope, an eighth grade Bemis Junior High School student, said she plans to join the school’s Lego Robotics program.

“I think it would give me the experience that I can use to help our team,” she said.

Gee and Schroder have organized the entire camp as part of the UAIS CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) requirement.

To successfully complete the IB Diploma Program, each student must document 150 hours of afterق│║school activities that are evenly split among creative, action, and service-oriented endeavors.

The camp was held this year at Velocity Jr., housed at Rose Kidd Elementary.

Velocity Jr. is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) partnership between UCS and the city of Sterling Heights designed to create and sustain a workforce capable of filling current and future high-tech job opportunities that will help Michigan’s economy grow.

For a listing of classes, please visit this link:

http://www.ucscommunityeducation.com/Tim/summer15.pdf