STEM Summer Camps
Please click here for registration form and tuition and return completed form to andrew@poly-ed.com.
Robotics with Arduino
June 19-23
Students will build and program robotics using the Arduino platform. Past projects include: GPS in 6-wheeled rover bots, 2-wheeled battlebots that sense each other using ultrasonic, and a robot that could speak using randomly generated text and a text-to-speech module for Arduino. Come and embrace the future overlords!
Video Game Design
June 26-30
This year’s video game week will focus on the Unity Game Engine and design in 3D! Unity is a professional-grade engine used to make real games that the students may already play. This year’s class will focus specifically on Python within the Unity Engine. Expect to play a number of illustrative games as well!
Drone Building and Testing
July 3,5-7
In this week of camp, for the first time, students will build and test open-source quadcopter drones using the Ardupilot/Mission Planner software. Students will 3D print custom parts for their drones, time permitting, with a planned test flight on Friday!
Math and Algorithms in Scratch and Python
July 10-14
We focus on computers as what they truly are – tools for
computation. Topics have included search algorithms, prime-finding algorithms, and the generation of fractals. Student will use Scratch or Python depending on their level, with advanced students often using Scratch as a prototyping tool.
Hacking and Cracking
July 17-21
Hacking returns! Past topics have included SMTP headers, SQL injection, RSA encryption and cryptography. We have also hacked games and had an extensive discussion of memory structure and addressing. The two weeks of hacking camp will have different curricula for students registering for both weeks. We promise that this week is white hat only!
Web Design
July 24-28
This week students will create their own websites with free hosting using HTML and Javascript, among other technologies. Our lessons will initially focus on the structure of a basic website, and branch out into user interaction with a dynamic site. This year we will also focus on databases, online shopping carts, and security.
Weather Balloon Telemetry – aka Leaving the Ground Behind
July 31-August 4
Returning for a fourth time! We will spend the week designing and programming a payload for a weather balloon, equipped with GPS, altimeter, camera, comms, etc. We will then venture out, launch the payload, and attempt a recovery with tracking. A substantial challenge for a young engineer! This week is suitable for new students and students who have undertaken this project previously. The continuity is helping the Poly Ed space program grow over time. In the event that current events render a balloon flight impractical, the curriculum will shift toward telemetry for model rockets, complete with a launch at the end of the week.
AI and Learning Algorithms in Python
August 7-11
Students will discuss and implement learning algorithms, teaching an AI how to perform such tasks as walking, solving a maze, or recognize an image. Past projects have included a perceptron for binary classification of data, a tic-tac-toe learning AI, and a Go AI.
We are currently building a fantastic schedule of trips in and around NYC that mesh closely with our curriculum. Details will be finalized closer to the start of camp. Our destinations will include institutions involved in research and development, in addition to museums that align with our STEM themes (as travel permits at the time).
As always, our enrollment ages/grades are flexible, so if you believe your student belongs in a different age group, please let us know.