Citrus Circuits Fall Workshop Series RoboCamps: Starting Your Own

Citrus Circuits Fall Workshop Series RoboCamps: Starting Your Own Program by Annika Larsen and David Solomon (1678)

What is a RoboCamp? Any camp that inspires the youth to further explore robotics and STEM

There is no “Cookie-Cutter” RoboCamp

Why do we Have RoboCamps? Education (be an inspiration!) Students, counselors, organizers Team outreach Community service Awareness of high school team Early recruitment pipeline Team funding

Creating a Balanced Project Time The time that you spend on the project Scope How many people you reach with your project Quality Cost How much the project will cost to run

What Goes Into Planning CollaboratorsRoboCamps? The who in the project Logistics The whens and wheres Budgeting The money Communication Advertising, emailing, and registration Camp Content What the campers are doing in camp

Collaborators "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller

Are There Enough People Interested? Needs to be addressed first Project cannot run if not enough are interested Take a gauge in the team

Who’s in Charge? Who will be in charge of what part of camp? Could split up by job or time frame Find candidates who are willing to be coordinators Adult collaborators Handle money, permits, school districts, etc. A reference for students when needing advice

Who’ll Run the Camp? Where will you find camp counselors? How many counselors? (Recommended number) More trained counselors better camp experience Counselor assignments during camp Training technical and soft skills At least 1 trained adult supervisor per camp

Logistics “Planning is a skill and an art which takes a lifetime to master.” - Paddick Van Zyl

When? Which week(s)? How many days per week? How many hours per day? Any more than 7 hours will be excessive Things to take in account: What dates work for your reserved location What dates have highest availability

Where? Secure a location well in advance Size of the space Can it accommodate all campers equipment? Have a separate space for working and eating

Who? What age group? Younger kids may have more behavior issues Older kids may get bored easily Suggested between 4-8 grade Special programs for younger kids (K-3) How many campers? Any specific target demographics?

Budgeting “Budgeting isn’t about limiting yourself – it’s about making the things that excite you possible.” - Unknown

What’s the Cost? Calculate the estimated cost to run the camp Equipment cost Renting a venue Possible wages Scholarships Account for more expenses than planned

How Much to Charge? Base off of how much it costs to run Plan for positive net worth to put back into expanding outreach Calculate for how many campers you expect Offer scholarships Average camp costs in area

What Equipment is Needed? Make a list of equipment needed Hardware, computers, chargers, fields, power cords, possible camp shirts, etc. Inventory what you already have What materials are given with the venue Order equipment in advance

Communication "Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” - Paul J. Meyer

How will you Advertise? Start early, clear process Reach your target audience: Team email for camp questions Website - Info and registration Social media, flyers, teachers

How will Campers Register? Google Form VS. Event Platforms Simple to set up Might cost money Harder to manage More complicated Not as official More features

Camp Content “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” – Albert Einstein

What will the Campers be Doing? List of camper learning goals Design, programming, teamwork, etc. Base activities on the age group of campers Familiarize yourself with robot hardware and software What should the camp build towards? End of the week competition or final challenge

How will the Campers Learn? Organized lessons Follow along activities to learn code, design, etc. Counselor to camper walk through Will campers work in teams or individually? More campers more arguing less contribution

What’s the Schedule? Day to day schedule Monday, Tuesday, etc. How will you keep campers focused? Minute to minute schedule During the morning, afternoon, break times, etc. Icebreakers 1-2 times a day

Dealing with Problems? Kids get bored easily which can lead to acting out 2 Warning system Calls home Made by head counselors and adults only It’s ok to be firm as a counselor just don’t be mean

How to Keep the Program Running Document everything Write down your entire planning process Include what worked and what needs to be changed for next year Collect feedback from campers and counselors Train others to take over in the future

Organization is Key Put yourself in the shoes of your audience If I was a parent, what would be more convenient? If I was a camper, what would be the most fun? Base camp can expand to many others Stay organized! Start planning well in advance (now!!) “Steal from the best, invent the rest.”

Resources RoboCamps Website https://www.citruscircuits.org/robocamps.html RoboCamps Resources Page https://www.citruscircuits.org/robocamp-resour ces.html

Last Words of Advice “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” - Thomas A. Edison

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Citrus Circuits Fall Workshop Series Contact Us @ davisyouthrobotics@citruscircuit s.org Thank You! Any Questions?