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Canfield students’ creations compete
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Neighbors | Amanda Tonoli.Volunteer Dave Wilkeson (right) brought his son, Jake (left), for the second year to Robotics Camp at Canfield High School to further learn about electronics and programming.
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Neighbors | Amanda Tonoli.Canfield High School hosted Robotics Camp Aug. 3-7 to teach students about programming and electronics. Pictured, from left, are Chris Smallwood, Zachary Perrico and William Epp.
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Neighbors | Amanda Tonoli.Robotics Camp students got to see a demonstration from their volunteer mentors and their robots on Aug. 3 at Canfield High School.
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Neighbors | Amanda Tonoli.Ben Weiss (left) and Connor Sigler (right) made base models of their robots for Robotics Camp at Canfield High School on Aug. 3.
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Neighbors | Amanda Tonoli.Students returning for the second year to Robotics Camp at Canfield High School received a special project, more intensive with teamwork. On Aug. 3, the first day, they got their assignment and saw a demonstration of what their final project should look like.
By amanda tonoli
Canfield High School hosted the second annual Robotics Camp Aug. 3-7. Volunteers who work within the similar technology-related fields came together to give students in grades 5-8 a preview of the STEM — science, technology, engineering and mechanics — programs being implemented in schools nationwide.
Students had the opportunity to build robots for a contest and compete against one another.
Dave Wilkeson, volunteer and parent, said this camp gives them practice for high school, especially for non-core classes that are being offered at that higher level.
“This gives the opportunity to be exposed to something they wouldn’t have been exposed to before unless they had a parent that’s into robotics or programs or stuff like that,” Dave said.
Dave said this year the program welcomed back 14 students from the year previous and 25 new students.
Dave’s background made in a knowledgeable volunteer for Robotics Camp — he works in programming and technology consulting but said his son didn’t really get into this stuff until he came to the camp.
“My son came to this and got things out of this that he wouldn’t have gotten to otherwise,” Dave said.
Jake Wilkeson, Dave’s son, said he enjoyed the competitive factor in Robotics Camp.
“It’s fun,” Jake said. “It’s sort of like ‘King of the Hill’ where you have to do the tasks and the person that completes it, it’ll be theirs against the other team.”
Jake said his friends were interested in the camp as well and together they all had fun getting to build and program the robots.
Students also get to use hand tools and learn how to work with materials in the STEM field.
Dave asked those participating in the camp to write essays and think through what they were doing and why they were doing it — to think the process through. This was his way of being able to see the students who wanted to be there.