Not all children fit into the mold of a traditional sports or performing arts summer camp. Those interested in STEM-based programs, such as coding, robotics and programming, have a new, fun option this year: Summer Tech Camps through Code Central.
Code Central will host weeklong summer camps for ages 7-17, beginner and experienced programmers alike, beginning with Robotics June 12-16. From there, the schedule is as follows:
- Programming in Minecraft, June 19-23
- Adventures in Coding, June 26-30
- Robotics, July 10-14
- Programming in Minecraft, July 17-21
- Adventures in Coding, July 24-28
A summer open house will take place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 10; attendees can tour the facility and learn about summer camp and ongoing membership curricula.
With a variety of activities scheduled each day, campers work individually and in groups to learn new computer concepts, which will then be applied to create projects. A special presentation of these projects will be made to parents at the end of the week.
Daily activities include: Guided learning from Code Central’s experienced instructors, hands-on projects, interactive games, a chance to connect with fellow computer gamers, and an hour of martial arts instruction/activity (provided at the DoJang dojo).
ROBOTICS
Students will learn how to command robots. The five-day camp will utilize Arduino for advanced students and Lego Mindstorms and Dash & Dot for beginner students. Code Central’s experienced instructors will reveal a new side of technology to students through programming, lay the groundwork for more advanced topics of robotics in the future, and teach the skills needed to explore robotics at home. Mechanical and electrical concepts will also be taught, ensuring a robust robotics experience.
LEARNING TO MOD: PROGRAMMING IN MINECRAFT
In this five-day camp, students will learn the concepts of modding video games. Both block coding and Javascript will be taught, so there will be things to learn for all ages and skill levels. Students will design and create mods and learn how to install and implement them on the PC Minecraft version.
Not only will students learn the basics of modding, but also the beginnings of object-oriented programming and many more valuable programming skills that translate to other areas outside of Minecraft. (Code Central is not an affiliate of Minecraft and/or its parent companies.)
ADVENTURES IN CODING
Students will learn how a computer works, how it connects to the internet, how to code and much more in this comprehensive five-day computer camp.
In addition to unplugged activities, students will learn to code their own apps through the popular software GameMaker. Utilizing either drag-and-drop or GameMaker’s built-in language GML, students at any level will be able to leave this camp with something to show off to their friends.
The STEM-related economy is growing significantly faster than the nation’s economy as a whole, according to “Nevada K-12 STEM Pipeline,” an article by UNLV College of Education instructors David Vallett, Ph.D., assistant professor, and P.G. Schrader, Ph.D., professor. Currently, within Nevada’s elementary schools, an average of only 15 percent of classroom time is dedicated to science instruction, the paper reports.
“Too few Nevadans consider STEM careers in large part because they are not exposed to STEM education as students or are not made aware of the many exciting career opportunities in STEM available to those with some postsecondary education,” says the State of Nevada’s Advisory Council on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – STEM in its 2016 Strategic Plan.
The first of its kind in Nevada, Code Central opened in March 2017 by brothers Eric and Brian Mendelsohn as an after-school tech center for youth. Day-to-day operations are managed by Eric Mendelsohn, who has more than 25 years of experience in teaching and education management. Located at 10545 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 110, at Horizon Ridge Parkway and Eastern Ave., Code Central teaches students to code and create websites, apps, video games and more in a fun and collaborative space that inspires creativity.
Some of the technologies Code Central uses for beginners and advanced coders include: Code.org, Code Combat, Codecademy, Lego Mindstorms, Arduino and more. Additionally, the school introduces kids to a wide variety of programming languages, including C#, Javascript, and beginning robotics kit, Dash & Dot.
Camps will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended hours available.
Cost for the camps is $499 for a full week (non-members), $399 (Code Central members). Currently through the end of June, Code Central is running a promotion of $75 off the full-week non-member price. Single days are also offered for $109 each and $59 for a half day (lunch included with full day camps). Registration may be done by calling 702-790-3930 or visiting MyCodeCentral.com.
Code Central is located at 10545 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 110 (at Horizon Ridge Parkway).
For additional information on Code Central, visit www.mycodecentral.com, email info@mycodecentral.com or call 702-790-3930.
