Technology

3D Printing and Design is a two-week, hands-on enrichment course for students in grades 6-9. During the first week of the course, students will learn the 3D design software, Tinkercard, and create a series of objects using step-by-step instructions.  Objects will include a button, trick die, chess pawn, spork, zipper pull, numbered die, customized stamp, and monogrammed ring.  Additionally, they will learn how to use a Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer and how to setup files to print 3D objects.  In the second week, students will work on hacking and modifying 3D designs of objects for their own use.  Students will have the opportunity to print out some of their designs during the course.  No prerequisite is required. (Also listed in Upper School.) 

Mobile app development has exponentially grown to include a rapidly expanding younger audience. MIT App Inventor is an open-source, visual block-based coding program that allows anyone with drag and drop skills to develop and launch downloadable apps on any Android device. In this 2-week camp, campers will develop the skills needed to create an art app, a text-to-speech app, a magic 8 ball game and more. In less than an hour, campers can easily create and launch their first app. Through a design-thinking routine, campers will engage in the basics of app development, plan and iterate their ideas and as part of a culminating activity, pitch their ideas for an app. If your camper is comfortable with Scratch, MIT App Inventor proves to be a next step in their development toolkit.

This two week, 2 hour per day course will be a challenging, fast paced, detail oriented course involving LEGO Robotics. In the first week students will utilize the LEGO Spike Prime kits to work in teams to build and code a variety of different types of robots (Breakdancer, Delivery Cart, Robot Hand, Pedometer, and Smart Bike). In the second week of the course, students will apply their building and coding knowledge to use the LEGO Spike Prime kits to compete against one another in a Robot Olympics. Some events may include LEGO bowling, penalty shoot out, maze race, and more. The course will cover topics such as sensor usage, control flow, and basic programming concepts like loop blocks and functions. Through hands-on activities and challenges, students will develop problem-solving skills and gain a deeper understanding of how robots work. This course is a fun and engaging way for middle school students to explore the exciting world of robotics.