5 New STEM Summer Camps from Microsoft
Microsoft just announced five new STEM summer camps being offered this summer. These new free Youth Spark Summer Camp curriculums being offered at Microsoft Store locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico are the perfect way to plan a summer of STEM for your kids. Read on to learn more about these new Microsoft STEM summer camp offerings!
Last week I was invited to Microsoft’s New York flagship store to attend a media preview of Microsoft’s new STEM summer camps — from coding to programming robots to speak, to filming, editing and premiering a movie, to even learning how to use technology to bring about change in our communities Of course I had to bring my STEM-loving kiddo along for the ride! After all, he’s my little tester of all things STEM for kids. It’s his fascination with technology, coding, engineering, and science that drives me to share this type of stuff with you guys.
Well, let me tell you my kiddo was hooked the minute he stepped in through the door! The staff was excellent and engaging and right away we could tell that we were in for a real treat. This summer, Microsoft’s STEM summer camps will turn kids into robotics engineers, philanthropists, and movie directors. My kiddo eats this stuff up! Don’t your kids?
Each of these new STEM summer camps from Microsoft was developed by experts, along with input from knowledgable store associates, all dedicated to equipping kids from diverse backgrounds with the digital skills they need to succeed later in life. These STEM summer camps provide real-world opportunities for kids to not only tap into their passions but also fine tune their 21st century skill and create something tangible that can support a brighter future, not only for themselves but for their communities too!
STEM Summer Camps from Microsoft
Below is an overview of the five new STEM summer camps being offered at Microsoft Stores this summer.
- Create a Difference in Your World supports future philanthropists and the one in ten members of Gen Z who want to change the world by starting a charity. Students will develop an actionable plan for a humanitarian effort of their choice and learn about the business of fundraising, volunteering and creating awareness for their cause, all while learning to use technology to do good.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
- Code A Talking Robot With Ohbot provides students with hands-on access to the Ohbot robot and teaches them to bring it to life by it’s coding movements and speech.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Two 2-hour sessions
Ohbot is a NEW Arduino-based robot, available for purchase at Microsoft.com beginning Friday, June 1, and consists of an expressive, programmable robot head that stands eight inches tall. During this STEM summer camp course, kids will apply computational thinking and learn to code Ohbot so he can tilt and turn his head and move his eyes, and lips. Kids will get a real kick out of learning to program this fascinating robot’s movements and speech, all with an easy to use free drop block coding app.
- Make Your Own Movie With 3D And Mixed Reality provides students with access to Microsoft’s latest 3D drawing and movie-making technology. From character development and storyboarding to shooting and editing, students learn how to create their own movie and are encouraged to invite friends and family to their Microsoft Store hosted movie premiere at the end of the camp. How fun does that sound?
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
- Beginners Fun with Computers and Coding is a fun and engaging way for first time coders to build a coding foundation and learn how computers and code work. This course uses ever-popular code.org activities to introduce kids to coding and basic computer science concepts. At the end of the camp, students show off their new skills in a student-led session for parents.
- Ages: 6-8
- Duration: One 2-hour session
- Minecraft Coding – learn computer science with your favorite game is an inclusive and immersive experience of creating, exploring and learning code in the popular world of Minecraft with MakeCode. During this course students will learn and practice new computer science concepts and work towards gaining a YouthSpark Certificate, awarded at the end of this STEM summer camp course.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
Well, of course while we were on our way out of the Microsoft Store we just had to (at my little gamer’s request) check out this cool gaming setup above. This kid loves Minecraft! I mean, what kid doesn’t? And he had to sit down and play for a little while. Now he has a little gaming set-up like this on his wish list! 😉
He’s also really looking forward to me signing him up for Microsoft’s new STEM summer camps. You can go here to learn more and register for one of the 5 YouthSpark Summer Camps being held at Microsoft Store locations this summer. Or maybe even sign up for all 5!
Wishing you all a happy summer of STEM learning!
