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Junior Robotics Camp

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LOG: ORCSGIRLS JUNIOR


To: ORCSGirls -- From: Katie Bates

June 14, 2024 -- 7:30 am

Hi, I'm Katie Bates, the founder of ORCSGirls Junior.

Today marks the first-ever ORCSGirls Junior in-person camp! I'm super nervous, but "fake it 'till you make it", right? In case you don't know, Junior is a program I conceptualized in the summer of 2022 with the goal of reaching girls in grades 2-4 who are interested in coding and computer science. I kickstarted the program with a virtual reality camp last summer - my very first time teaching! The first day was pretty daunting, but teaching is the most incredible experience.

This year's camp is about robots. Today we will use Edison robots (https://meetedison.com/) to teach the Junior girls how sensors, block coding, and robot-to-robot communication works. I have a couple of activities for them to do; you can find the link to my slides here (Edison Robot slides).

Wish me luck!

--Katie

To: ORCSGirls -- From: Katie Bates

June 14, 2024 -- 11:45 am

Update 1!

The camp is going so well! The first 15 minutes are always very nerve-wracking as I get to know the girls and the subject, but then it's just so much fun. We started with setting up the robots and learning about their different parts: the start and stop buttons, the LED lights, and how to plug them into the computers so we can upload our programs. To introduce the girls to how the robots move, we set up mats with lines for the robots to sense and follow. 

I was nervous about teaching in-person with the younger girls because I've never done it before, but I think that once you learn how to adapt to your environment and fit the pace of the students it gets much easier. It's all about making sure the girls have a great time and improvising if changes need to be made to the initial plan.

Off I go to the rest of the camp! See you in a couple of hours.

--Katie

To: ORCSGirls -- From: Katie Bates

June 14, 2024 -- 2:45 pm

Update 2 - camp is over!

And that's a wrap! I've spent so long preparing for today; I can't believe it's over already. The girls got to decorate their robots with LEGO bricks and develop code that allowed them to drive in squares. After that, each of the three teams had their robots communicate with each other in an epic dance-off! I was so proud watching them all show off what they learned and go home with smiles on their faces.

Teaching is something I never get tired of; knowing I'm inspiring the next generation of young female scientists is a privilege I am lucky to have. Robots are one of my favorite subjects to learn about and teach, and I hope that I can pass that passion onto more girls in the future. For now, I'm off to plan the next ORCSGirls Junior classes and prepare for my next camp in a couple of weeks!

See you all soon!

--Katie

You can find more ORCSGirls Junior at https://www.orcsgirls.org/junior. Keep an eye out for our fall classes open to girls in grades 2-4.

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