ROBO Storm camp was created in 2007 at Northland Community & Technical College with financial support from 360°, a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Center of Excellence in Manufacturing and Applied Engineering. Students in grades 6-8 learn how program Lego MindstormTM robots; solve problems; and create robots through “hands-on” activities! Students also tour a local manufacturing facility (e.g., Arctic Cat, Polaris, Cirrus Designs) to understand how robotics, engineering, and mechanical design are implemented in the workplace. Many more companies provide scholarships for youth to attend camp, donate goods, and contribute time to making camp a success in their local community!

The success of the summer camp continues to grow each year. As a result, we have added a new location each year to serve the youth in our region! The maximum capacity of students at each two day camp is 24 and we are proud that so many students choose to attend camp at Northland Community & Technical College!

Numerous NCTC faculty and staff make ROBO Storm camp a reality each year. Andrew Dahlen, Electronics Technology Automated Systems Instructor;  Joel Ziegler, Welding instructor; staff from the Center for Outreach & Innovation.

2011 Camp Dates & Locations:

• Thief River Falls: June 15 and 16, 2011
• East Grand Forks: July 13 and 14, 2011
• Roseau:  August 3 and 4, 2011

Quotes from campers:

• It was fun to work with robots and meet new people!
• I loved it!
• I really enjoyed learning about robots and building them!
• There are not many opportunities for this kind of camp.
• Make camp longer so we can learn more.
• I had such a good time, I wish there were camps like these closer to home.