We may be headed into the deep winter months, but the sights and sounds of summer are sticking with us this year! In late July, Bishop-Wisecarver was a collaborative partner for a new two-week Robotics Summer Camp for local high school students and we can still hear their problem-solving discussions and see their excitement as their projects were planned and tested.
The program included 20 students (40% female) from eight different high schools in four different school districts who learned about career opportunities in STEM fields, while also engaging in a design challenge that required a full production line simulation of a model car assembly. Bishop-Wisecarver provided financial support for this unique program, products such as actuators for hands-on learning, and team members who participated as judges and mentors.
Jeff Ceurter, Principal Engineer at Bishop-Wisecarver, served as a judge for the design challenge and was impressed by the capabilities of the young students, both academically and as team players. “They learned so much in a short time. They learned simple things about electronics and circuits and they had an exercise to create a circuit that lights up LEDs based on noise level. They also learned how to program the actuators and robots and about the different end effectors used to grab, suction or weld.”
Beyond the factual knowledge, Jeff said the students commented on the importance of communication and collaboration as key takeaways from the camp. “While the academic skills are definitely important, the opportunity for these students to take that knowledge and work together as colleagues on a project of this magnitude was one of the key real-world experiences. In my job, it is collaboration and teamwork that help generate the most success, and encouraging these students to work through that type of process will help them in any career they choose.”
Bishop-Wisecarver was proud to partner with this program that was co-led by Bay Area LEEDS and Diablo Valley College.
