Abstract:

Middle school represents a pivotal stage for cultivating interest and confidence in STEM. Over the past four years, we have developed and refined a week-long, hands-on Coding and Robotics Academy for middle school students, designed to foster problem-solving, creativity, and technical skills through team-based learning and friendly competition. The curriculum integrates programming, game development, and robotics, emphasizing iterative design, stepwise refinement, and student-led exploration.

Participants begin the week using block-based programming in Scratch to design simple games, then transition to programming Sphero and Elegoo robots using both block-based and text-based languages. These activities culminate in team competitions that challenge students to apply engineering and coding concepts in real-world scenarios, promoting collaboration, perseverance, and critical thinking.

To broaden exposure to emerging technologies, we interleave hands-on sessions with exploration and discussion segments covering topics such as additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and virtual/augmented reality. These sessions feature short videos and guided discussions that connect students’ hands-on work with broader STEM domains.

This presentation outlines the academy’s structure, key learning outcomes, implementation challenges, cost considerations, and practical strategies for educators interested in launching similar initiatives. We also reflect on how low-cost robotics, open-source software, and competition-based learning can significantly enhance student engagement, confidence, and sustained interest in STEM fields.

Acknowledgement:
This work is supported by the South Bend, Elkhart LIFT Initiative. (Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Initiative, which brings together business, community, and educational partners to create a diversified, technology-driven economy of the future.

Keywords:

STEM education, K-12, gamification, robotics, problem solving, team-based learning, summer academy.