Technology reporter Stanley A. Miller II tracks news and trends, from the coolest new gadgets to the latest stuff on the Web
Free 4-H camps bring robotics to city students
4-H is calling for tech-savvy volunteers to help run a series of free robotics camps for high school and middle school students called 4-H Tech Wizards.
"It's the same kind they would use in FIRST Lego League," says Michelle Gonzalez, 4-H program coordinator for the Milwaukee County University of Wisconsin Extension program, who also heads the year-round STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program. "They aren't necessarily competing, but they are learning and developing a positive relationship with their mentors."
The goal is to encourage students to pursue postsecondary education, develop careers and get involved in their communities.
"This is a concentrated effort to work with inner-city youth in the development of a robotic and mentoring program," Gonzalez said, noting 4-H was focusing on "communities of high distress."
Each Tech Wizard camp has room for up to 25 students, no experience with robotics is required, and there is still time to sign up, Gonzalez said.
"We are trying to bring these programs into the central city," she said. "They are meant to recruit youth into our year-round robotic programs."
Tech-fluent instructors will be trained on how to work with 4-H youth and get introduced to robotics if they need it. The summertime commitment is about four hours a week on Fridays or Saturdays for three weeks in mid-July and early August.
Mentors interested in continuing with the efforts can apply for 4-H's technology-focused after-school programming in the fall.
The tech wizard camps are divided into high school and middle school models, and high school students finishing both days of their camp can volunteer to help with the middle school workshops.
"It's giving older youth an opportunity to take on a leadership role and responsibilities," Gonzalez said. "They are able to practice those skills in a safe community."
The camps are supported by the S.A.Y. Foundation, the Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Corporation for National and Community Service through AmeriCorp Vista.
Gonzalez noted the Tech Wizard camps are not the same as 4-H Gateway Academy summer engineering camps, which are part of Project Lead the Way, that run through July and are still available. The academies cover technologies such as robotics, computer science and renewable energy.
"This is completely a 4-H program," Gonzalez said of the Tech Wizard camps. "The emphasis here is learning, not competition."
IF YOU GO
To sign up for a 4-H Tech Wizard summer camp, visit
milwaukee.uwex.edu or call (414) 256-4628
Tech Wizards high school camp: 3 to 7 p.m. July 15 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 16 at the UWM Architecture and Urban Planning Building, 2131 E. Hartford Ave.
Tech Wizards middle school camp: 3 to 7 p.m. July 22 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 23 at the 4-H offices, 9501 W. Watertown Plank Road, Building A, Wauwatosa.
Tech Wizards middle school camp: 3 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 6 at Nativity Jesuit Middle School, 1515 S. 29th St.
To volunteer, call mentor coordinator Jolene Arnold at (414) 256-4628 or email firstname.lastname@example.org