HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Middle school students discovered the power of programming during a recent summer camp thanks to the mentorship of the local high school robotics team.
With robots zipping around taped-off tracks and code filling up computer screens, members of the FIRST Robotics flying Legion Team 3635 led students through a two-day coding and robotics camp at Houston County High School. The camp, which took place July 9 and 10, included 26 middle school students and introduced them to the fundamentals of automation and computer science using Experimental Robotics Platform (XRP) robots.
The goal of the camp was to introduce students to the FIRST Robotics community by building foundational skills in programming and problem-solving.
On the first day, students learned how to use Blockly, a visual, block-based coding language. The group started with simple tasks, such as programming robots to move in geometric shapes, control speed, and respond to sensors. The day wrapped with a challenge to see which robot could complete a track in the shortest time.
Day two took the learning further with an introduction to Python, a text-based coding language. Students translated their Blockly projects into Python and learned more about the motor-driven device, called a servo, that that allows for precise control over straight lines and curves. The students capped off the camp with a tournament-style team challenge. Working in groups of four, they used their newly acquired coding skills to compete for the highest-scoring robot.
Jacob Harvey, a computer science teacher at Mossy Creek Middle School and one of the camp’s mentors, said the experience was as enlightening for the instructors as it was for the students.
“This is a great experience for the kids, and we got to see what this group of kids — this age group — what their strengths and weaknesses are,” Harvey said. “The difference between coding in block and Python was pretty significant. We saw a lot of the kids needed to get better at attention to detail — their spelling, what they are coding — but also you get to see how to break it down and teach them how to spot errors in the code until it runs.”
For the Flying Legion team members, the camp provided an opportunity to give back to their community while gaining leadership and teaching experience.
“Some of the kids I was paired up with, they weren’t the best at coding,” said Keenan Sanders, a rising 12th grader at Houston County High School. “But they tried, and they persevered. Even though I don’t know how to code, I felt like I made some sort of impact here.”
“It was really fun, and it was amazing to see how inspired the kids were,” said Jake Chaffee, a rising 11th grader and fellow team member. “To see them working with all the robots and just watching them think and work through the processes of the camp was just an amazing experience.”
Georgia AIM supports Flying Legion through the 21st Century Partnership and its mission of developing the next generation of manufacturing and technology leaders.
As the camp wrapped, the young participants left with a stronger grasp of coding and problem-solving, while the Flying Legion team members left with a renewed sense of purpose.
“The kids were engaged, actively working,” Harvey said. “They were excited to come in and work with the robots, and they’re learning trial and error. … It was a great experience.”