TEMPLE, TX — With the help from Learning Fun 101, Education Service Center Region 12 were able to provide a weeklong robotics and drone camp.
During the weeklong camp, students accomplish many things including building robots and drones from scratch and learning skill sets that will hopefully make them more college ready.
Education Service Center Region 12, with the GEAR UP grant, start with middle schoolers from the Temple Independent School District and follow them as they continue into high school and graduation by providing academic enrichment to make sure the families of these students know what they need to go to college.
However, the students are learning a lot more than becoming college ready.
"Stepping outside they're comfort zone to take their bots down here and um just challenge their mind to build something better," said Melissa Tydlacka, GEAR UP Site Facilitator.
Of course every student there was more than excited and having so much fun building new things, which they would come up with on their own. Some even planned ideas for future projects.
"A futuristic kind of car and I wanted to learn how to build it so I started to learn about robotics and engineering," eighth grader Marcos Garcia said.
Middle schoolers spent a week building robots and drones all from scratch. If they didn't have an idea, they turned to the internet for help.
"I looked up a few things on the internet like types of programs and types of robots," Garcia said.
Even though you have help from others, creativity is key.
"I feel like this is just giving them that platform to be able to use their minds to the fullest potential," Tydlacka said.
Overall the camp was a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone. If you ask Garcia if he finds any of this challenging, he'll say putting in effort is key.
Learning Fun 101 was the organization that provided all the equipment to build, while Education Service Center Region 12 and GEAR UP were the grant providers to help fund the camp.
