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Summer Program Brings Science & Technology to Students in Rural Schenectady County
Hands-on, team-based opportunities to learn the fundamentals of robotics, computer science and engineering were available to students in the rural communities of the Capital Region this summer.
With the assistance of a $6,000 grant from TSF, the Schoharie Mohawk Initiative for Science and Technology (SMIST) and Duanesburg Area Community Center (DACC) offered a series of four STEM programs during July and August. While open to all Capital Region students, the program was designed to improve access of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math offerings to students in underserved rural areas of Schenectady, Albany, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties.
The project-based classes, which met for six one-hour sessions, were tailored to different grade levels:
* Introduction to Robotics I & II (Grades 4-6) - Introduced students to the world of robotics by using the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics kit. Students use a graphical programming language.
* Introduction to Electronics and Circuits (Grades 6-8) - Exposed students to electronics and circuits by using electronic modules that snap together with magnets.
* Introduction to Embedded Programming (Grades 9-12) – Introduced students to the basics of prototyping circuits and programming microcontrollers. Students programmed an Arduino microcontroller and built the needed circuitry to control a radio-controlled car.
