Students at Montwood Middle School acquired new skills this summer at the BEST Robotics Youth Coding Camp, where they gained hands-on experience in building robots.
During the camp, which took place from July 21 to 25, students such as Angela Galaz Carreon, a rising seventh grader, learned how to wire breadboards, add LED lights, and program their robots to move in a straight line, run in circles, and navigate through a maze.
“I wanted to learn about like engineering and robotics and stuff because it seemed really cool and it's pretty fun,” Galaz Carreon said. As an aspiring biomedical engineer, she said the camp gave her a head start for her future, especially since she planned to participate in robotics in high school.
"It's gonna help me a lot because if I already know this, I'll be already advanced in my classes and stuff like that, so I would probably, like, be one of the best," Galaz Carreon added.
Montwood Middle School was one of six schools in Texas selected by BEST Robotics Inc., a non-profit organization that organizes a national robotics competition for middle and high school students, to host a free weeklong coding camp. The camps were funded through a Texas Workforce Commission Camp Code grant awarded to BEST Robotics and the Allen Eaglets, a student-led program at Allen High School in Allen, Texas, focused on providing robotics education for younger students.
The Eaglets taught the Rams how to build and program motorized robots using kits that included various components, such as a breadboard for connecting electronic parts, wires, resistors, and wheels. Their goal was not only to teach but also to inspire the students with their enthusiasm for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
“We all love being in robotics and working together, and most of us want to go into some sort of STEM-related career,” said Aleyna Talamantez, the Eaglets’ program manager and a recent Allen High School graduate. “A lot of us are here because we want to help give these kids the same opportunity to find if it's something they're passionate about, just like us. And so, we all want to inspire them and help them grow and see what they might like.”
Otto Davis Vasquez, a rising seventh grader, was excited to learn Python, a computer programming language. He wanted to explore coding further because he was considering a career as a computer hardware engineer.
“What I like the most is that we're programming. I like that we're learning new programming languages, and I like that we get to build our own robot,” Davis Vasquez said.
The camp included about 25 students from grades 3 to 8, who were all eager to build their own robots. Victor Hernandez, the school’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW) teacher and Gifted and Talented coordinator, said that while some students found aspects of the camp challenging—like writing code for the sensors—they were enthusiastic about participating in the camp.
“Age doesn't matter. It's just their willingness to learn,” Hernandez said. “These kids absorb everything so fast that it's easier for them to learn, and if they're having fun, even better!”
Johannes Starks, the National Executive Director of BEST Robotics Inc., emphasized that the skills the campers learned would be valuable for their future careers, whether they want to be programmers or scientists.
“Our whole goal with BEST is boosting engineering, science and technology,” Starks said. “So, we want these kids to be able to see themselves in these spaces and know that they can do this, and starting this young is where it starts.”
Emma Hernandez, who is starting fourth grade, has been interested in robotics since second grade. She said that the camp was a great opportunity for her to explore her interest. At first, she was worried that building a robot would be hard, but she found that it was easy as long as she listened to the instructions.
“I love this experience!” Hernandez said. “I don't know, but it might convince me to join the robotics club.”