HARLINGEN — The Parks and Recreation Department’s popular summer robotics and technology camp is going to the sky this year.
The new focus on the STEM classes — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — will solely be on drones this summer.
The camp will be held July 16-20 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day at Gutierrez Middle School and is open to elementary and middle school grades.
“This has been a part of our robotics and technology camp that we’ve done, and this will be the fourth year that we’ve had this camp available,” said Lara Di Paola, recreation supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Department.
“Last year we did robotics and drones, and in previous years they were doing the BattleBots, so this year it’s completely focused on drones.
“They’re called Parrot drones, and they’re going to be learning how to build them and program them,” she added.
Cost of the camp is $80, which includes breakfast and lunch each day courtesy of the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District. The drones and all equipment will be provided for the 50 students participating in the camp.
Registration for the camp begins at 6 a.m. on May 14, and can be accessed online at https://apm.activecommunities.com/harlingen
“At the end of the camp, which is one week long, they’re going to be a doing a drone racing competition,” Di Paola said. “I’ve actually seen these on TV, like some of the ESPN channels, where you program them to go through different obstacles, so that’s the last day and they’re going to be using all those skills to do a race.”
