2009 Rensselaer Robotics Engineering Academy

This year the LEGO® Rensselaer Robotics Engineering Academy will be offering half day and full day sessions using the LEGO NXT technology. The NXT half day morning session is open to girls ages 11-13. The NXT half day afternoon session is open to boys and girls ages 10-14. An advanced NXT full day session will be offered for youngsters ages 11-14. The advanced session will allow students the chance to work with LEGO® construction and more programming skills. We are also offering a one-week VEX robotics session. In VEX students work in teams to design and create VEX robots that can accomplish engineering challenges.

Half Day Sessions

The Half Day Session is designed to introduce a child to robotics in a fun, hand-on fashion related to LEGO® technic building. This session does not require any previous LEGO® robotics experience and even LEGO® brick experience, although preferred, is not necessary. This program teaches base computer programming, use of sensors, and mechanical construction.

2009 Half Day LEGO® NXT Sessions Flyer (19KB PDF file)

Morning LEGO® NXT Half Day Session: July 6-17, 2009
Open to girls only
Ages 11-13
Morning Half Day Session: 8:45am-12:00pm Two-Week: Monday-Friday
Drop Off: 8:30-8:45am
Pick Up: 12:00-12:15pm
Maximum enrollment is 25 students
This summer 2009 session is full.
Registrations for Summer 2010 will begin when the web site is updated, January 1, 2010.

Emma Willard GirlSummer Option: If you are interested in an additional afternoon program the Emma Willard School offers an additional afternoon of classes as part of the GirlSummer day program which includes transportation back to the Emma Willard School. If you are interested in the Emma Willard GirlSummer option, please register and remit payment though Emma Willard School and contact Morgan Storms, at (518) 852-6580 with any questions. Parents drop off their students at Rensselaer in the morning and pick up students in the afternoon at Emma Willard. Visit this link for details on the Emma Willard GirlSummer day option. Contact Morgan Storms directly at Emma Willard with questions and details on the registration deadline.

2009 Robotics Engineering Academy - Morning LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Registration Form (60KB PDF file)

Morning LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Cost: $500 per student for the 2-week morning NXT session. If registering through Emma Willard they will collect all costs including the additional cost for the afternoon option on thier campus.

Morning LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Registration Deadline: Early registrations are encouraged. Space is limited. For the morning NXT session a non-refundable deposit of $100 must accompany the registration. Final payment and the below accepted student forms are due by June 22, 2009. If you have any questions regarding the morning NXT session, please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

Afternoon LEGO® NXT Half Day Session: July 6-17, 2009
Open to boys and girls ages 10-14
Afternoon Half Day Session: 12:45pm-4:00pm Two-Week: Monday-Friday
Drop Off: 12:30-12:45pm
Pick Up: 4:00-4:15pm
Maximum enrollment is 25 students.
This summer 2009 session is full.
Registrations for Summer 2010 will begin when the web site is updated, January 1, 2010.

2009 Robotics Engineering Academy - Afternoon LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Registration Form (60KB PDF file)

Afternoon LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Cost: $500 per student for the 2-week afternoon NXT session.

Afternoon LEGO® NXT Half Day Session Registration Deadline: Early registrations are encouraged. Space is limited. For the afternoon NXT session a non-refundable deposit of $100 must accompany the registration. Final payment and the below accepted student forms are due by June 22, 2009. If you have any questions regarding the afternoon NXT session, please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

Full Day Sessions

The Full Day Advanced Session requires previous experience with LEGO® Mindstorms. This can be that a student owns their own kit and is capable of creating their own robots or any of the robots in NXT example booklets including but not limited to the Scorpion, Humanoid or Tribot. Along with the construction students entering this session should be able to program the robot using time constraints at a minimum. Understanding how to process an input from at least one of the base kit sensors (touch, light, rotation or sound) is strongly preferred. Children who have used LEGO® Robotics systems in school, after school, completed the half day session this summer, a session in previous summers, or through FIRST LEGO® League should be able to excel in this program. This program is designed to increase programming skills to a intermediate to advanced level as well as strengthen the ability to construct mechanically using gears, levers and multiple motors.

Full Day Advanced LEGO® NXT Session: July 20-24, 2009

Open to boys and girls ages 11-14
Full Day Session: 8:45am-4:00pm
One week: Monday-Friday
Drop Off: 8:30-8:45am
Pick Up: 4:00-4:15pm
Maximum enrollment is 25 students.
This summer 2009 full day advanced session is full.
Registrations for Summer 2010 will begin when the web site is updated, January 1, 2010.

2009 Full Day Advanced LEGO® NXT Session Flyer (223KB PDF file)

2009 Robotics Engineering Academy - Full Day Advanced LEGO® NXT Session Registration Form (60KB PDF file)

Full Day Advanced LEGO® NXT Session Cost: $525 for the 1-week full day advanced session

Full Day Advanced LEGO® NXT Session Registration Deadline: Early registrations are encouraged. Space is limited. A non-refundable deposit of $105.00 for the full day advanced NXT session must accompany the registration. Final payment and the below accepted student forms are due by July 6, 2009 for the full day advanced NXT session. If you have any questions, please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

Program Details

Learning can be fun is the general theme permeating this summer experience. This summer academy is sponsored by Rensselaer's Center for Initiatives in Pre-College Education.

The NXT half day sessions will provide an opportunity for students to merge their creative interest in LEGO® TECHNIC building elements with their “technological life styles.” Participants will use the LEGO® NXT technology to design, construct and program robotic solutions to complex engineering challenges. Input from sensors will permit robots to autonomously navigate around obstacles or retrieve objects. Students will come away from the experience with an understanding of the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science and technology and they will be able to integrate these principles into their everyday life. Students willbe using an iconic programming language called ROBOLAB. This software combined with the planned curriculm creates a fun, fast-paced and exciting introduction to robotics! This will be a two-week half day experience.

The Advanced full-day NXT session will advanced students' programming skills so that they can Participants will use the LEGO NXT technology to construct robots that will complete logic and programming focused challenges. Robolab software will be used to manipulate sensors on a more in depth level than the LEGO Robotics Engineering Academy. Students will be taught how to use several types of coding structures including loops, if-then statements and variable manipulation through a series of mini-challenges. The experience will culminate in a final challenge that will ask the students to creatively incorporate the variety of skills they learned during the session. This experience is directed towards students with previous backgrounds in LEGO robotics. Involvement in an after school program, FIRST LEGO League team or past summer Engineering Academies could properly prepare a student for this course. This is a week long, full day, intensive experience.

Accepted Student Forms

Check list for completing Medical History Form - Day Programs (52KB PDF file)
Medical History Form - Day Programs (58KB PDF file)
Medication Sheet Form (54KB PDF file)
Self Medication Waiver (52KB PDF file)
Authorization to Visit - Summer Day Programs (159KB PDF file)

Note for Summer program participants Medication Sheet Form and Self Medication Waiver: For children who do not have any prescriptions the parent and doctor should sign the Medication sheet for the three over the counter medications listed so they can be administered by the Health Services Office. If your son/daughter does not have any medications to self administer then the Self Medication Form is not applicable.

Transportation: All participants must furnish their own transportation to and from campus.

What to Bring?: Campers should bring bag lunches. It is not necessary to bring any additional materials this includes any LEGO® pieces.

Where is the drop off and pick up location for the robotics programs? This year there is a specific location for the robotics programs; "The JEC Circle". Continue on 15th Street to the 4th light. At that 4th light take a right onto College Avenue. Take 2nd right into campus. Continue straight towards the gated entrance. A Staff member will let you through the gate. Drive ahead to the JEC Circle, which will be directly in front of you. This is the drop-off/pick-up area. Between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., vehicular traffic entering or moving on the core campus will be prohibited for 15 minute periods between quarter to the hour and the hour. Throughout the day, all motorized vehicles located on the core campus will be required to come to a complete stop during these 15 minute periods, regardless of location. Therefore, if you arrive during that 15 minute period between quarter to the hour and the hour, you will have to park in the parking lot adjacent to the gate, and walk to the JEC Circle. If you have any questions, please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

To report a student absent or late: If your child will be absent please call prior to 9:00am Michele Murray in the Center for Initiatives in Pre-College Education at (518) 276-6906 or Kari Bennett in the Summer Programs Office at (518) 276-6431. Students arriving to campus late (after 9:00am) need to be escorted by a parent or guardian to the Rensselaer Robotics Engineering Academy classroom. If at all possible we ask that you call ahead of time to report the lateness.

Snack and Lunch: Please remember that each student should bring their own snack and bag lunch every day.

Program Inquiries/Questions: For further information about the program, Request Information, or contact, Mike Gunther, Program Manager for Recruitment, (518) 276-8351, gunthm@rpi.edu.

MAIL OR FAX MATERIALS TO:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Attn: Outreach Programs Office
110 8th Street – Low Center Suite 4011
Troy, NY 12180-3590
(518) 276-6431 (Voice)
(518) 276-8738 (Fax)
An email will be sent to confirm receipt of materials.

Special Needs: If you have any special needs please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

Registration Questions & Answers: If you have any registration questions, please contact Kari Bennett at (518) 276-6431.

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