When checking out camp offerings for this summer, I was intrigued by “Build/Code Drones + Game Design” camp offered by Kids 4 Coding, through which campers learn to build, code and fly a drone, create obstacle courses for them, and replace broken or damaged drone parts.
If you have only thought about drones in the remote-controlled toy category, you may be surprised to know how useful these unmanned aerial robotic devices are in professional sectors. They assist in search and rescue and law enforcement applications. They provide the bird’s eye view of sporting events, and for travel and real estate. Drone technology is finding its way into more sectors all the time, including revolutionizing agriculture! Currently, Dubai is testing passenger-carrying drones as an alternative to taxis. Amazon is patenting its proposed drone delivery system, and in recent months, UPS has been testing drone home delivery.
Drone technology has significant potential to impact numerous industries and knowledge of this field will become more desirable as demand expands. For young people interested in this unique technology, Kids 4 Coding will be offering hands-on exposure for coding, building and testing drones at Newbury College in Brookline and Lesley University in Cambridge this summer.
I talked with AnnMarie Laramee at Kids 4 Coding about this new course and asked how they developed the curriculum for kids. AnnMarie explained, “To create this camp, we tested different drones and drone coding programs to design a custom curriculum that incorporated a 3-fold approach: building, coding, and flying. Like robotics, drones are a big part of the technology picture. It naturally fits in with what we do at Kids 4 Coding.”
She added, “The curriculum was developed to be fun and engaging. Kids collaborate, simulate and troubleshoot the drones in teams. During the simulation phase, campers fly their cargo drone from point-to-point, learning about velocity and coordinate systems. We’ll include math and physics during puzzle/gameplay mode, as we ramp up to code the drones. Engineering concepts will be explored during the building phase and finally, students get the satisfaction of flying real drones through obstacle courses outside in the sunshine.”
In addition to the drone camp, Kids 4 Coding offers courses in programming, robotics, mobile app development and more for ages 7-15. One week half- and full-day camps focus on digital literacy and coding proficiency, unlocking and encouraging students’ potential for problem-solving, logical and creative thinking, math application and ingenuity. Camps are supervised by certified teachers and taught by instructors majoring in STEM-related fields from MIT, Harvard and Boston University who are passionate about technology.
I am excited to offer BostonTechMom readers an exclusive discount for any of the Kids 4 Coding Boston area camps. Take $25 off registration with code K4C25 (offer expires 5/30/17). For course descriptions, dates available, and to register, visit http://www.kids4coding.com.
