Riverview Robotics Coach to Lead Summer Camps at HCC Brandon

News Report

Florida Advanced Technological Education (FLATE) Center robotics camp coordinator Desh Bagley of Riverview will lead a series of summer camps for middle and high school students.

The robotics camps are being offered in partnership with the National Science Foundation Center for high-tech manufacturing, Hillsborough Community College and the School District of Hillsborough County.

The camps will be held in the student services building at HCC’s Brandon campus, 10414 E. Columbus Dr. Tampa, and are designed to introduce middle and high school students to the world of robotics and automation and explore its applications in both industrial and personal settings.

The middle school camp is for incoming sixth- to eighth-graders. The high school camp is designed for incoming freshmen to high school seniors. The cost for each weeklong camp is $150.

The schedule and list of camp offerings include:

• June 18- 22:    Introductory Camp for Middle School Girls Only
• June 25-29:    Introductory Camp for All Middle School students
• July 9-13:       Engineering Camp for All High School students
• July 16-20:     Advanced Camp for All Middle School students

During this program, students will learn how to reconfigure LEGO MINDSTORMS Robots and program them to follow specific commands, be part of robotic team challenges, learn design techniques using software programs and the operation of a 3D printer to produce prototype parts.

According to Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE, the summer camps capture the interest of middle and high school students by following the current trend of robotic applications used throughout the entertainment media.

The curriculum is a mixture of LEGO educational materials that are integrated with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) subjects and modern manufacturing, and are conducted in a competitive problem-solving environment.

Campers also develop a knowledge base of modern manufacturing, robotics design and programming while adding to team-building experiences.

“In particular, FLATE and HCC are reaching out to girls to continue to build their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics” Barger said.

For information on registration, visit www.fl-ate.org/projects/camps.html, and www.madeinflorida.org. Those interested also can contact Desh Bagley at camps@fl-ate.org.