Registration for all camps opens Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 pm PST.
RoboCamps are week-long summer camps in which campers entering Kindergarten through 8th grade have the opportunity to collaborate to build and program robots, learn about 3D printing and working with drones, and explore a variety of STEM challenges. Trained counselors will guide and support all campers for the best robotics experience possible. At the end of the week, campers in most of the programs will showcase their finished robots in a friendly competition.
Scholarships
Need-based scholarships are available for all RoboCamp sessions. Parents may apply for scholarships at time of registration, and a form will be provided for you to document qualification after registration. The scholarships are intended for families that would otherwise be unable to have their children attend and to broaden the STEM education opportunities available to students in our community. See the FAQ below and look for scholarship tickets at registration.
Summer sessions
​​The Seedlings camps help students entering grades K-1 speed into STEM! Sphero Indi is the most approachable entry-level learning robot for ages 5+. Using colored tiles and the Sphero Indi robot, the program inspires imaginative, play-based learning by empowering campers to learn the basics of coding, solve problems, and nurture computational thinking skills.
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The ​Sprouts Camps offer a hands-on introduction to robotics and teamwork for students going into grades 2-3. Campers will build a basic VEX IQ clawbot, gaining practical experience with simple mechanical and engineering concepts. Once built, they’ll put their clawbot to the test in a fun, cube-based game. This camp is ideal for kids who enjoy building and working with their hands in a supportive and engaging environment.
The Introductory - Intermediate camps are geared towards kids going into grades 4-8 who have little or no experience with robotics or already have experience working with robots (i.e. those who have been a part of a Davis Youth Robotics League or Schools team, attended RoboCamps last year, etc.) Introductory-Intermediate camps provide campers with additional scaffolded support and a structured curriculum in designing, building, and programming their robots. This camp uses the VEX IQ platform and ROBOTC programming language, typically as block programming.
The Intermediate - Advanced weeks are for campers grades 4-8 who have experience with robotics or have been to one of programs before (i.e those who have been a part of a Davis Youth Robotics League or Schools team, attended RoboCamps last year, etc.) These weeks will allow campers to explore and have have more freedom with designing, building, and programming their robots.
The Programming Skills camp is for campers going into grades 4-8 with robotics experience, who are interested in improving their programming skills. There will be little focus on the mechanical side of robotics. Instead, campers will be taught text-based programming in ROBOTC. This camp will culminate with a series of programming challenges that require the use of sensors, motor encoders, and advanced programming logic. This camp will teach programming skills through completing autonomous-based challenges, instead of using the standard VEX IQ game.
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The WiSE (Women in STEM Empowerment) camp is exclusively for girls and non-binary kids going into grades 4-8 who have little or no experience with robotics, and features an all-female team of camp staff. This year, WiSE camp will be provided as an introductory RoboCamp during the week of June 15-18.
The Intro to Engineering camp introduces students entering grades 6-8 to practical skills in technology and engineering. Campers will learn the basics of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and 3D printing, as well as how to fly and work with drones. No prior experience is needed, however we do encourage that students bring their own computers to camp every day if they have them. It’s a straightforward introduction to useful tools and techniques for students interested in exploring technology.
