School children armed with engineering tools have been learning electronics and robotics skills this month as part of Lipscomb’s Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering partnership with Nissan for the Lipscomb/Nissan BisonBot Robotics Camp.
The camp, which started May 28, offers weeklong sessions, teaching elementary, middle and high school students about the basics of engineering. A diverse group of more than 120 students from across the country will have attended the camp by the time it ends June 29.
According to Ginger Reasonover, co-director of the camp, the idea originated from her son Bryan’s Eagle Scout project. Reasonover said her son wanted to help kids participate in robotics while also learning about engineering.
“It was such a huge hit that the university decided, ‘We’re going to do this next year,’” Reasonover said.
Since 2007 when the camp began, Reasonover said it has continued to grow and gain support from the community and local businesses. In 2010, Nissan began sponsoring the camp.
“They’ve increased their support every year,” she said. “A huge kudos to Nissan. With their support, we have been able to build this to what it is. Without their support, we couldn’t have this many kids; we couldn’t have this many counselors.”
The camp involves a balanced approach between lecture and hands-on experience. Reasonover said the students attend lecture with engineering professors or working professionals and then have an opportunity to apply that learning in a workshop-type setting.
The week culminates in a robotics competition and presentation for parents and friends, which allows the campers to showcase the projects they created during camp. The camp also includes a field trip to Nissan and a visit to Home Depot for an “Inventor’s Tour.”
Reasonover said the program gives campers a chance to use science, math, technology and engineering to make a functioning robot.
“They learn that it’s OK to be smart,” she said.
The camp is divided into three sections based on age. The junior division is for students who have completed second or third grade. The fundamentals camp is for students in grades 4-7. The advanced division is for students entering eighth grade up through those who have just graduated from high school.
Reasonover said the camp allows kids to excel at the things they enjoy.
“A lot of our kids think of themselves as the ‘geeky kids,’” Reasonover said. “Some of them are athletic, and some have other abilities outside of this engineering and science bent that they have. But some of them don’t, and this is their area to shine.”
Lipscomb offers needs-based scholarships as well as academic scholarships for kids who want to attend camp. Reasonover said getting into camp involves a screening process that examines students’ grades and requires a recommendation letter from someone other than the child’s parent.
“Once Nissan, came on board with their sponsorship, we were able to open up the camp to kids who otherwise would not be able to afford it,” she said. “Nissan also shows their support by providing engineers to come out and help with camp each day. Each Friday, we are treated to an engineer who brings along a Nissan Leaf. The kids love this new car.”
The camp is costly to operate, Reasonover said, because of the expenses that come from purchasing the engineering kits, food for lunches and snacks, as well as t-shirts, backpacks and other items the campers receive. The directors also strive to maintain a low camper to counselor ratio, ensuring maximum interaction, which adds to expenses.
Reasonover said some of the youth who have attended the camp are now counselors and some even take classes from the university.
“We use it as an outreach to the community, and hopefully, somewhere down the road, some of the kids will end up here at the university,” she said. “If not, at the very least, we’ve exposed them to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics principles, which will benefit them and our community in the future.”
For more information on next year’s program, call (615) 966-6244 or email robotics@lipscomb.edu.