The summer campers are eagerly awaiting the moment for their racing robots to take charge of the arena. They are preparing for the final showcase, a friendly competition, which will demonstrate the campers’ developing skills in the engineering field.
Seventeen students from across the country gathered for a week of hands-on robotics as a part of the University of South Carolina’s Adventures in Vex Robotics: Advanced Vex Robotics camp, which aimed to foster STEM skills and introduce students to the world of engineering and coding. This camp is designed to inspire young students to pursue their interests in engineering. It is a safe, collaborative learning environment where campers can hone and acquire skillsets.
Jonathan Scrivner, the camp instructor, who had extensive experience teaching the sciences, praised the Vex Robotics camp.
“I think it is a really good opportunity for them to come in and see automation and robotics in a fun and engaging setting,” he said. “You can also see the power of robotics and hopefully it lays the groundwork for any students who think this might be a potential pathway for them.”
Topics Taught
Topics taught in this camp include the overview of engineering skills such as building robots and maneuvering the VEX V5 Clawbot, coding with the Vex Code V5, delegating teamwork, and time management.
Campers Collaborate
This STEM camp attracts people of different backgrounds and skillsets and is an environment where campers can learn to collaborate with peers that have similar interests. Campers learn to delegate tasks among their teams in preparation for the final competition. They also practice time management – knowing that the deadline is just a few days away.
Adventures in Vex Robotics allows campers to focus on what they wanted to improve on, especially when there is a large and versatile group of people attending the camp.
Fifteen-year-old Noah from Greenville said that he had improved on “teamwork skills, a lot,” noting that up until this point he had consistently been the team captain on projects he was involved in.
“I’m trying to learn how to be more of a role player, not necessarily a captain like I’ve been.”
Camper Experiences
Seventeen-year-old Aundrea from Myrtle Beach, SC was benefiting from the hands-on aspect of the camp and showed a clear motivation for the end-of-the-week competition.
“It’s definitely helped a lot, especially with learning about sensors and whatnot,” Aundrea said. “I have not had a lot of experience in the past with these types of robots, but learning about the different sensors, AI sensors, distance sensors. It helps folk get us focused and ready for this competition, figuring out how we will stretch it out how far we need to be and how to maneuver the robots overall.”
However, fifteen-year-old Noah from Greenville, SC shared a complaint.
“I was hoping to learn about more about coding, but it was not an opportunity.”
Although he may have been disappointed by the extent of certain lessons, he was satisfied by the teamwork experience.
Little-to-No Pressure
The camp takes into account that there are campers with varying ranges of knowledge regarding the field of engineering.
Fourteen-year-old Will from Lexington, SC explained his learning process.
“I’ve learned how to think properly, growing more effectively, and one step at a time.”
This is indicative that the camp puts people at ease and doesn’t pressure anybody to be perfect at everything. It’s not about being the best – it’s about learning. Feel free to take things at your own pace.
No experience? No problem.
Seventeen-year-old Mirka from Columbia, SC said that she had had absolutely “no experience in robotics”, but that this summer camp definitely improved her knowledge of it and helped her narrow down her career path. She was sure that she didn’t want a career in robotics, but definitely one in engineering. The camp allowed her to eliminate a career option, yet it was very reassuring for her because it taught her some skills on a fundamental level which may or may not become in handy in her future career.
