Jordan Beck | Daily Press Gladstone students Cazlyn Roberts, left, and Caleb Stempki work to build a functioning robot out of Lego bricks while attending Lego Robotics Camp. Bay College and the UPWARD Talent Council once again brought this program to Bay’s Escanaba campus this summer.

ESCANABA — Bay College and the UPWARD Talent Council brought their long-running Lego Robotics Camp program to Bay’s Escanaba campus once again this summer.

Over the course of each four-day-long session of Lego Robotics Camp, participating students work with Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits to build functioning robots. According to Bay College Conference and Training Coordinator Beth Ann Belcher, the program has been popular in Escanaba this year.

“We didn’t fill all the sessions, but … we completely filled five out of the eight classes,” she said. The others were at least half-full.

Darren Widder, the camp’s director, said this summer’s campers have done well.

“Every camp has ended successfully … with the campers meeting their outcomes,” Widder said.

For 2018, many students have been building and programming what Widder called a “walking mecha.” This robot features a “scanner” module used to search for a clear path and a “grabber” module which is used to pick up objects.

“They are following instructions, but they do need to troubleshoot quite a bit,” Widder said.

Typically, student teams spend their first two days of camp getting organized and building their robots, Widder said. They usually spend their third day and part of their fourth day programming their robots.

The camp gives participating students a chance to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — which are collectively referred to as the “STEM” fields.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to get some experience in STEM that not all schools are offering at this point,” Widder said.

Belcher said this has been a major factor in the camp’s continued success.

“I think that’s a very important part of it,” she said, noting that there is a large demand for programming skills in today’s job market.

Teamwork is also a crucial part of Lego Robotics Camp. Widder said participating students are divided into different teams, and that they have an opportunity to make team signs on the first day of camp.

Cazlyn Roberts — a member of the team “The Four Army Cats” and a Gladstone student who will be entering third grade this fall — said she enjoyed working on robots and meeting people during her time at camp.

“You get to make new friends,” she said. 2018 was Roberts’ first year participating in Lego Robotics Camp.

Roberts said she was looking forward to the completion of her team’s robot.

“He’s gonna be a very cool robot — we’re working on him right now,” she said.

“Lego Avengers” member Zachary Deno, an Escanaba student who will enter fourth grade this fall, said he had taken part in the camp before 2018.

“This is my second (time) — I started last year,” he said.

Deno noted his team has had to work together to successfully meet their goals.

“We use teamwork,” he said.

Camp Leader Kenlynn Martin, an Escanaba student who will be starting her senior year this fall, said she has also been enjoying her time at Lego Robotics Camp.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” she said.

According to Martin, she appreciated being able to help children learn about technology.

“It’s really cool, being able to teach how to build and program,” she said. Martin also noted she had learned more about these subjects and how to work with children through her involvement with the camp.

The camp is run by both Bay College and the UPWARD Talent Council.

“We run the day-to-day operations of the camp,” Widder said, noting the UPWARD Talent Council provides Lego kits and personnel for the program. Bay College handles registration and marketing; they also ensure that the camp is consistent from year to year.

While this is the last week that Lego Robotics Camp is being offered in Escanaba this summer, Belcher said it will also be held at Bay’s Iron Mountain campus.

“Last year, we expanded on the Lego robotics to offer (it) at West Campus,” she said. The program will take place at this campus on the weeks of July 30 and Aug. 6.

Lego Robotics Camp will not be the only STEM-related program held in the area this summer. Belcher said that Inventing With Gizmos and Gadgets — a program which gives participating students a chance to have fun while learning about technology by using magnetic, electronic building blocks called “littleBits” — will come to Bay’s Escanaba campus in the near future.

“That starts this next Monday and runs into August,” she said. For more information on both of these programs, visit www.baycollege.edu/invent.