Summer Camps

Each summer, Team RUSH students host two weeks of summer camps for students of all ages. The camps are fully led by our students as camp counselors, as well as the curriculum written by our students and revised yearly to meet the current needs. Our camps exist to bring STEM to the Clarkston community! 

RUSH Junior Robotics Camp

About

Based off of the FIRST Lego League Explore program, this student-driven camp introduces young students to robotics through building and programming with daily challenges. Students learn what a robot is and how we use them to help us, while building crucial skills like teamwork, responsibility, and problem-solving.


Schedule Overview

First Day of Camp: Beginning with registration, campers are divided into groups and start learning the basics of building and programming to prepare for the rest of the week, creating their first robot! Each group is assigned a RUSH counselor, averaging 3 students per counselor.

Second & Third Days of Camp: Students continue working with legos and code, creating small, different projects each day while also participating in team-building activities.

Fourth Day of Camp: The week's activities culminate in a final challenge for the students to demonstrate what they've learned and complete different tasks. At the end of the day, parents are brought in for the camper's demonstration, a presentation from RUSH, and then leave with awards.

RUSH Lego Robotics Camp

About

This camp is modeled after the FIRST Lego League Challenge program and uses the newest SPIKE Prime controllers. Students program robots, sensors, and motors to find creative solutions to puzzles! It’s a great way to get involved in robotics and the world of STEM. Students who come in with minimal experience start out in the “beginner” group, while the more experienced move into the “advanced” group.


Schedule Overview

First Day of Camp: Campers are checked in and split into groups to dive into their lego robots! They learn what a robot is, how they work, and how we use them.

Second & Third Day of Camp: Using the SPIKE Prime kits, the campers build robots to complete challenges both from the previous year's FLL Challenge game and of RUSH's creation. Difficulty increases as they're completed to encourage creative thinking!

Fourth Day of Camp: Campers finish their final project and show off in a competition to their parents. At the end of the day, RUSH gives a presentation, the camp gives out awards, and the camp dismisses.


Beginner vs. Advanced?

In beginning groups, students come in with little to no knowledge of how to build, program, and test robots. They put a larger focus on building these skills up in tandem with the challenges.  Advanced groups come in with this knowledge already under their belt, hitting the ground running quicker and tackling harder concepts such as sensors, events, and timing.

RUSH 3D Modeling wtih TinkerCAD

About

Students will learn the basics of Computer Aided Design (CAD) with the web-based TinkerCAD program. From interests to practical solutions—this is the place to learn! Tips and tricks for modeling are covered in addition to a guided process of preparing (“slicing”) models to be printed, and eventually creating a physical model.  Students who come in with minimal experience start out in the “beginner” group, while the more experienced move into the “advanced” group.


Schedule Overview

First Day of Camp: Campers are introduced to what 3D modeling is and how it's useful to society! Technology access is set up and basics are taught. 

Second - Fourth Day of Camp: Campers are given challenges to model and create, some are designed for the 3d world, and some are 3d printed. At the end of the last day, RUSH gives a presentation, the camp gives out awards, and the camp dismisses.


Beginner vs. Advanced?

The beginner camp is geared for those who are looking to just start out in the world of 3D modeling, printing, and design, coming in with little to no prior experience! They will be taught from the ground up the very basics, brought through our student-made course. Our advanced class takes these skills to the next level, tasking the campers to identify a problem/task that they could solve, brainstorm, model, and create a scale solution in the camp's week-long course, with the guidance of the counselors.

RUSHing Girls to Engineering

About

This camp is run by the girls of Team RUSH to encourage the campers into STEM fields. Students learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator to have their designs cut by a Glowforge laser cutter (keychain, stamps, tokens, and more). They learn Computer Aided Design (CAD) basics to solve problems using 3D Printing as a solution! NEW in 2024, girls were introduced to coding/programming principles and soldering. 


Schedule Overview

First Day of Camp: Campers are introduced to what 3D modeling is and how it's useful to society! They begin modeling basic shapes, structures, and even zen gardens, then move onto illustrator. They are taught how to make basic shapes to close the day.

Second Day of Camp: Girls continue work in illustrator and TinkerCAD designing for their zen gardens, in addition to their marble runs. The day ends with designing stamps to laser cut.

Third Day of Camp: The girls cut and assemble their stamps, then learn how to solder and program!

Fourth Day of Camp: All projects are rounded out, awards are handed out, and RUSH gives a presentation!

Team RUSH Drone Camp

About

In this brand new, cutting-edge camp introduced in summer of 2024, students learn the basics of propulsion, flight, and drones through our program. From manual piloting missions, to teamwork challenges, students can venture into the next trailblazing generation of technology. 


Schedule Overview

First Day of Camp: Campers are taught drone safety, terminology, and controls while learning how drones are put to use in the real world. The day rounds out with all campers going though a piloting test.

Second Day of Camp: The new pilots begin to get familiar with obstacles, starting to get a better handle on controlling their drones. Campers are also introduced to autonomous flight and learn how to program drones.

Third Day of Camp: Campers continue to fly with obstacles, training their flight abilities while also growing their programming capacity. Teamwork challenges are assigned to challenge cooperation. 

Fourth Day of Camp: The pilots are tested in their agility in the air through time trials of a predetermined course, while also continuing to test pre-programmed flights. Everything is connected back to the real-world and how these skills could affect the future!