Employees of Pioneer Electric presented organizers of the Tiger Robotics Summer Camp with a $2,500 grant courtesy of the cooperative’s Helping Us Give to Society (H.U.G.S.) program on Thursday, January 7. The money will be used to fund the Tiger Robotics Summer Camp, a program aimed at helping middle school students in Ulysses. The camps goal will be to engage students in fun and learning opportunities provided through S.T.E.M. (science,technology, engineering and mathematics). The camp will focus on approximately 15 students chosen through teacher recommendation. Particpants in the camp will be able tp enjoy the benefits of the camp at no cost.
“It’s important that kids have the opportunity to engage in programs like the Tiger Robotics Summer Camp,” said Anita Wendt, vice president of energy services. “Camps like this allows students to learn in a new way and introduce them to careers that they may have not known exisited.”
The program will target at-risk students at Kepley Middle school entering sixth, seventh and eighth grades in the 2021-2022 school year. Through designing, building and coding robots, students will be introduced to skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration that will benefit them in their futures. During the camp, students will work together to design their own robot and challenge others using VEX IQ, a programable, snap-together robotic system.
“It’s a great way to introduce students to science, techonolgy, engineering, and math concepts through an engaging medium” said Justin Coffey, vice principal at Ulysses High School and camp organizer. “The Vex IQ competition requires students to work in teams and problem solve to code their robots.”
Kits purchased with the funds from the H.U.G.S. grant will be re-usable, allowing the club to build a foundation for future summer camps.