UNT's Robocamp summer camp program gets boost with two new grants
By UNT News Service
Apr 11, 2008
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DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The 2008 session of the University of North Texas' Robocamp summer day camps has received additional financial support in the form of two new grants. The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded an additional $30,000 and the RGK Foundation has awarded $15,000 in support of camp programs.

These grants are in addition to a $102,000, two-year grant from the Texas Workforce Commission and a $30,000 grant from the Motorola Foundation that allowed Robocamp to be expanded to both young men and young women entering grades 8-12. Previously, it had only been offered to young women.

"This will be the largest summer camp program to date with approximately $125,000 to support programs for this summer, and about $50,000 already in the hamper for next summer," said David Keathly, a lecturer in UNT's Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Keathly is co-director of Robocamp along with Robert Akl, UNT assistant professor of computer science and engineering. Krishna Kavi, chair of UNT's department of computer science and engineering is also a co-principal investigator on the Texas Workforce Commission grant.

Registration closes April 15 for this summer's edition of Robocamp. The programs will be five days in length. Half of the time will be spent directly on robotics, with the balance spent on engineering design, critical thinking and programming topics. Each camp will incorporate an individual or team design competition, with certificates and prizes awarded to the best designs. Registration for each camp is free and will be limited to 20 participants.

The UNT College of Engineering will also host two camps for 20 middle school and high school counselors. The three-day camps will be eligible for continuing education units. Finally, an advanced robotics workshop will be held for those young women who have previously attended any of the Robocamps in 2005, 2006 or 2007 to run concurrently with the counselor camps.

At Discovery Park, UNT's 285-acre research park at 3940 North Elm Street in Denton, Robocamp will be held June 9-13 (Monday-Friday); and the advanced workshop and Robocamp for counselors will be held July 14-16 (Monday-Wednesday). At UNT Dallas, 7300 Houston School Road (near the intersection of Camp Wisdom Rd.), Robocamp will be held June 23-27 (Monday-Friday) and the advanced workshop and Robocamp for counselors will be held July 21-23 (Monday-Wednesday).

For more information about the camps, contact David Keathly or Dr. Robert Akl with UNT's Department of Computer Science and Engineering at (940) 565-2767, or at: www.cse.unt.edu/robocamp.