Programming robots launches interest in engineering
Diego Fierro, 13, hopes to be a mechanical engineer someday. And thanks to a LEGO Robotics: Space Challenge camp at the 勒貊勛圖, Diego took one step closer to that dream this week.
Ive never built anything with LEGO Mindstorms before, Diego explained, as he programmed the robots next move. Its cool because it gives me an idea of how a machine works, how every piece is important and has a job.
Diego was one of 30 middle school students from Skinner and Lake middle schools and Bryant Webster an early childhood through eighth grade school in Denver who built and programmed robots as part of CU-勒貊勛圖s Science Discovery residential camp.
The summer camp is a partnership between泭,泭泭and the Summer Academic Focused Education program, a nonprofit that provides hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to middle school students in northwest Denver. These week-long camps focus on architecture, business and engineering and are held at CU-勒貊勛圖, UC Denver and the Colorado School of Mines.
Many low-income, first-generation students haven't had much exposure to STEM fields, said Ron Gallegos, who coordinates the northwest Denver summer program. Through hands-on projects like programming robots, STEM becomes something they understand and as a result they might choose as a potential career.
To read the full story, visit the .
泭