From coding to drones, TISD camps will help students hone STEM skills

Texarkana Independent School District will hold Summer STEMology camps for students entering kindergarten through ninth grade.

A limited number of spots are available for each camp, and early registration is encouraged. Registration is online at txkisd.net.

For more information, contact Jennell Ingram, coordinator of academic services, at 903-793-7561, ext. 1306.

Camps are as follows:

Circuit Camp will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 4-8 at Morriss Elementary School, 4826 University Park. This camp will entertain, educate and expand students’ knowledge through hands-on activities in science, fine arts and technology. The camp is open to incoming third- through fifthgrade students, with only 45 spots available. Breakfast and lunch will be served. The cost is $75 per student.

Coding Camp is 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 4-8 in the library at Texas Middle School, 2100 College Drive. Students will learn the basics of coding and how to structure a program using Scratch, Touch Develop and other game-based learning environments. The camp is open to incoming sevenththrough ninth-graders; 15 spots are available. Breakfast will be served. Cost is $50 per student.

Drone Camp, to be held June 4-8, has two sessions: session I, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and session II, from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both will be held at Texas Middle School. Students will use lifelike simulators and learn how drones are affecting the world around us. The camp is open to incoming sixth- through eighth-graders, with 10 spots available per session. The cost is $50 per student.

Google Coding 4 Middle School

will offer two sessions from June 4-8. Session I will be held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is open to incoming fifth- and sixth-graders. Session II will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to incoming seventh- through ninth-grade students. Both sessions will be held in Texas Middle School Room 309. Students will use code to

communicate their ideas with a program so they can be brought to life in bigger and more creative ways. Only 20 spots are available per session. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Cost is $50 per student.

Mindstorms Robotics will offer two sessions, from June 4-8 and June 11-15. Session I will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is open to incoming second- through fifth-grade students. Session II will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is open to incoming sixth- through eighth-grade students. The camps will be held at Texas Middle School in Rooms 619 and 620. Lego Mindstorms Robotics allows students to design, build and program robots using technologies that will inspire participation in science, technology, engineering and math. Only 25 spots are available per session. Breakfast and lunch will be served. The cost is $50 per student.

Raspberry Pi will be held June 11-15 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 3 at Texas High School, 4001 Summerhill Road. Students will learn to install and use the Raspbian operating system and develop a basic understanding of scripting through use of the Scratch game development software. The camp is open to incoming sevenththrough ninth-graders, with 24 spots available. Breakfast will be served. Cost is $50 per student.

Mad Scientist Club will be held June 11-15 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Texas High School, 4001 Summerhill Road. In this CSI-style science camp, students will explore the chemistry of acids and bases. Through this effort, they will learn why we have seasons, how to use chemistry to solve crimes and how to detect aliens in space. The camp is open to incoming fifththrough eighth-grade students, with 25 spots available. The cost is $50 per student.

Dash & Dot Coding Adventure

will be held June 18-19 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Nash Elementary School, 100 Burton. Students will learn how to code robots, named Dash and Dot, to go on adventures or complete silly tasks. The camp is open to incoming

kindergarten through fifth-grade students, with 25 spots available. Cost is $50 per student.

NASA Adventures will be held June 18-22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Texas Middle School, 2100 College Drive. Join a team of NASA-trained engineering and science teachers for an out-of-this-world summer adventure. From designing rockets and blimps to creating universes and clocks, students will be engaged the entire time. The camp is open to incoming third- through fifth-graders, with 24 spots available. The cost is $50 per student.

Robotics Coding WeDo will be held June 18-22 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Room 619 at Texas Middle School, 2100 College Drive. Participants will be involved in challenges that provide engaging learning experiences using tools such as LEGO Education WeDo hardware and software and simple programming tools. The camp is open to incoming kindergarten through second-grade students, with 20 spots available. Breakfast will be served. The cost is $50 per student.

STEM Social Studies Camp will be held June 18-22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Texas Middle School, 2100 College Drive. Campers will use science, technology, engineering and math to design and recreate different pieces of history. Students will explore history through engineering challenges and other fun activities in order to experience firsthand how STEM affected the past. The camp is open to incoming fourth- through sixth-grade students with only 25 spots available. Cost is $50 per student.

Video Game Design will be held June 19-21 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Texas Middle School, 2100 College Drive. This camp is designed to teach students the concepts and basics of programming and coding. Students will use their creativity and logic to create a game of their own. The camp is open to incoming fifth- through ninth-grade students, with 20 spots available. Breakfast will be served. The cost is $50 per student.