Summer LEGO Camp
Just because it’s summer, that’s no reason to let up on STEM-tivities. Case in point: summer camps like those organized by OpenWorld Learning (OWL). “Students can lose up to 20% of what they learned during the summer,” said Andrew Castillo, OWL’s Development Manager. “OWL’s summer program helps the student retain what they learned during the school year while providing a safe and fun environment to continue and further their education during the summer.”
One camp attended by I&T Today kid reporter Nick Harris, the LEGO Robotics camp, develops students’ STEM skills and teaches them to build, well, LEGO Robots. Students launched LEGO catapults using computers, and the camp ended with a competition to see who could use the catapults to knock over construction paper buildings.
The importance of camps like OWL’s? Besides the obvious need to develop STEM skills in students for work force readiness, OWL works with students living at or below the poverty line. “The digital divide is rapidly increasing and over 50% of our students don’t have a computer at home. The OWL program provides an opportunity for students to earn a laptop or tablet. This is often the first laptop or tablet in the household.” –T.S.
