Robotics Academy-a STEM Experience

Owensboro Community and Technical College is hosting its third annual Mechatronics Summer Academy June 7-11, 2010. Students, parents and community members are invited to the final showcase, Friday, June 11 from 5-7 p.m. to see projects developed throughout the week.

Students will be complete projects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a main focus on robotics. Both middle and high school students attend from the region. Students will travel as far as Breckinridge County to gain the opportunity to learn in this exciting, hands-on environment.

Shawn Payne, Mechatronics Instructor, will lead sessions tailored to middle and high school student levels. This is an exciting time to bring in students to learn outside the regular classroom environment, we even include a trip to Holiday World this year to allow students to learn more about how the rides work, said Payne.

In addition to the exciting field trip, students will learn from instructors of other disciplines including electrical technology, information technology, mathematics, nursing, and radiography. Projects completed from sessions in these disciplines and robotics will be displayed Friday for parents and community members.

Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about preparation for FIRST Lego League (FLL) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). Both are international robotics competitions aimed to excite students about science and engineering.

Registration for the Summer Academy is free and provided by the National Science Foundation funded Discover Mechatronics program at OCTC. For more information about the OCTCs June 11 Summer Academy Showcase please contact Katie Walker at (270) 852-8616.