The Pine Belt Robotics Academy was started late last year with the mission of promoting STEM skills, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking for young students, even outside of school.
The academy – which is run under the leadership of Nadine Amaya, the 2018 Mississippi VEX IQ Elementary Teacher of the Year and the 2017 VEX IQ World STEM Hall of Fame Teacher of the Year – is gearing up for another round of camps for the summer.
The camps, which take place in June and July at the academy, 5268 Old Highway 11, Suite 9 in Hattiesburg, are differentiated into two types: educational camps and robotics camps. The educational camps will focus on thinking skills and activities, along with extracurricular activities like Spanish and strategic gaming.
"The reason I'm doing the (educational camps) is that a lot of parents had expressed to me that they needed those types of activities now, especially since school had closed down," Amaya said. "So (this way) kids can get back into more educational programs."
The educational programs consist of:
• Brain Power Express: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 1-4 or from 1:30-4:30 p.m. June 1-4 for rising second through fifth graders. Students will practice four thinking strategies to navigate their way to advanced learning at home and in the classroom. Registration is $100.
• The Game Express: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 29-July 2 for rising second through fifth graders. Students will learn to play and compete using board games that develop thinking and life skills. Registration is $100.
• The Spanish Express: Will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. June 29-July 2 for rising fourth through sixth graders. Students will be guided through aspects of the Spanish-speaking world. Registration is $100.
• Jump the Gate: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 27-30 or from 1:30-4:30 p.m. July 27-30 for rising third graders. This hands-on course will focus on skills for the GATE test, which is required to pass from third to fourth grade. Registration is $150.
The robotics classes are as follows:
• Beginners Robotics Build Camp: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 8-11 or 1:30-4:30 p.m. July 6-9 for rising third through sixth graders. Students will be introduced to the basic mechanics of the VEX IQ system. Registration is $125.
• Intermediate Robotics Build Camp: Will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. June 8-11 or from 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 6-9 for rising fourth through eighth graders. Students with prior VEX IQ experience will explore the challenges presented by the 2020 VEX IQ Challenge. Registration is $125.
• VEX IQ Team Build Camp: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 15-18 or from 1:30-4:30 p.m. June 15-18 for elementary and middle school teams. Teams will work side-by-side with mentors who will guide them through the process of early stage game analysis, robot design and prototyping. Registration is $150.
• Beginner Robotics Programming Camp: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 22-25 or from 1:30-4:30 p.m. July 13-16 for rising third through sixth graders. Students will use VEXcode Blocks to create functioning programs. Registration is $125.
• Intermediate Robotics Programming Camp: Will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. June 22-25 or from 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 13-16 for rising fourth through eighth graders. Students with prior experience with VEXcode Blocks will explore tools to create effective programs for the 2020 VEX IQ Challenge with a focus on the use of sensors. Registration is $125.
• VEX IQ Team Strategy Camp: Will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 20-23 or from 1:30-4:30 p.m. July 20-23 for elementary and middle school teams. This camp is designed for teams that have already built their first robot and want to test their robot design and participate in matches. Registration is $150.
Because of social distancing, all camps are limited to 10 students, and all participants will be required to wear a mask and have a temperature check.
"I've only had the information for about a week and a half, so I'd say about 10 so far have committed," Amaya said. "But others have asked questions, and several of the students that were in the programs in the fall are planning to sign up; they just haven't signed up yet.
"I have at least three teams who are just trying to decide which one of the camps to attend. So I feel like with the word getting out now, that I'll start having more of a response."
Registration information is at pinebeltroboticsacademy.com.
Interested parties may also call (601) 466-2465.
