Because SumoBots rock: UTSA iTec Robotics summer camp registration opens

Sumobots…here we come!

UTSA has started taking applications for its iTec Robotics summer camp.

New for this year is a program for high school students. Also new is the $70 fee per student. Last year, the program was free. Still, at under $100 for two weeks, daily free breakfast and lunch and an amazing robotic experience, it’s well worth every penny. I blogged about the camp last year here and here.

One of the elements I loved about this camp is that the kids are divided into groups of four with a mentor…so everybody has a chance to share their two cents worth in building the robots. Teamwork is emphasized, but at the end of the day, it’s the competition that captures everyone’s attention. I never had so much fun watching Legos with wheels try to push each other off a table.

You can easily register online at itec.utsa.edu. But be prepared. Your child will need to type in a short essay on why he or she wants to be in the camp. The second hardest part: making sure you’ve got them signed up for the right one! There are five options this year:

• June 14 – 25: grades 3 – 6 using NXT platform
• June 28 – July 10: grades 8 – 11 using the VEX Robotics System
• June 28-July 9: grades 6-8 using the NXT platform
• July 12 – 23: grades 6-8 using the NXT platform
• July 12 – 23: grades3-6 using NXT platform

All camps run 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with no early or late stay available.

And a WORD OF WARNING: If your child is accepted into the camp – do not park where you are not authorized to park and pay before you walk away to drop off or pick up your child. Those campus police are tough cookies and won’t hesitate to ticket you.

If you’ve got a future engineer on your hands, this is the camp to attend. Extremely well-run. And great fun for the kids.