June 17-23, 2016 was declared the National Week of Making by President Obama.
“Makers and builders and doers — of all ages and backgrounds — have pushed our country forward, developing creative solutions to important challenges and proving that ordinary Americans are capable of achieving the extraordinary when they have access to the resources they need.”
– President Obama, National Week of Making Proclamation
In conjunction with the National Week of Making, 20 middle school students designed and built robot cars in the Collaborative Center for Emerging Technologies on the St. Petersburg Collge Clearwater campus the week of June 20, 2016. The robotics camp, led by engineering technology faculty Greg Lewis, was meant to inspire students to explore robotics, programming, and 3D modeling and printing. Students also used SolidWorks to design a custom piece for their robot that was 3D printed on-site. The highlight of the camp was when the students performed time trials with their robot cars through an obstacle course. Students and teams with the fastest times were awarded medals. A second camp will be offered the week of July 11th.
“I am so proud of all the students, volunteers, staff, and faculty that worked on putting this camp together. It is so energizing to see young minds excited about STEM and to see the amazing things they accomplish in just a week”–Lara Sharp, Program Director of Engineering, Manufacturing, and Building Arts.
