Edmonton—Whether they’re using GPS devices during a scavenger hunt, programming computers or designing and building robots, participants in the DiscoverE engineering, science and technology camps are up to their eyeballs in fun, hands-on learning.

Edmonton—Whether they’re using GPS devices during a scavenger hunt, programming computers or designing and building robots, participants in the DiscoverE engineering, science and technology camps are up to their eyeballs in fun, hands-on learning.

The summer camps give youths the chance to explore engineering, science and technology in a fun, supportive environment.

On their first day, junior high school students in the Robotics Senior camp were working in teams, designing and building battling robots. It was just a taste of things to come. Using Lego Mindstorms robotics kits, they designed their own robo-creatures, built working cranes and eventually designed and built ’bots that operated autonomously.

There are plenty of reasons to sign up for camps like these, but one 13-year-old camper expressed it succinctly. “I just kind of wanted to make a robot,” she said. “I wanted to do something different.”

A teammate going into Grade 7 added that she wanted to brush up on her programming skills. The camper, who unwrapped a Mindstorms kit last Christmas, thought the hands-on approach would be the best way to sharpen her robot-building skills.

Instructor Josh Ikebuchi says that working in groups, being imaginative and having fun all help instill confidence and skill.

“This is engineering, through the back door,” he said. “They’re learning about engineering without knowing it.”

Established by engineering students in 1993, DiscoverE connects the University to 20,000 youths in over 50 communities across Alberta and the Northwest Territories every year. For more information visit http://discovere.ualberta.ca/ .