Child 1 Age 9 - 12 (Female)
Program(s) focused in Robotics
(5) Overall experience
Before starting with the workshops, my daughter wasn't sure she wanted to go. After a few times, we could see it starting to grow on her. By the fourth time, she definitely wanted to continue. That was perfect timing since she was offered a position on the Elite Robotics Team. From then on, robotics became her passion. Even though she is too old for BotCamp now, she still volunteers there and has continued with robotics on her high school team.
(5) Reason for choosing the program
A friend referred BotCamp to us. Her son had Shawn Lim as a teacher/robotics coach at Crescent School when he was a teacher there and couldn't say enough about the experience. We wanted to give our daughter exposure to robotics and after speaking with Shawn and seeing the lab, we thought it was a a great opportunity. Our daughter had tried a few other robotics camps/workshops previously but BotCamp was, and is, definitely the winner. The experience was fantastic for our daughter, both in terms of igniting her passion for robotics and improving soft skills like communication, time management, collaboration, and confidence. Like our friend, we can't say enough about BotCamp!
(5) Program quality and activities
Our goal was to give our daughter exposure to robotics, and BotCamp certainly did that. As part of the Elite competitive team, our daughter used an engineering notebook and travelled around Ontario and to the United States for competitions. The benefits of those experiences went beyond success at the competitions and will stay with her throughout her life. The coaches had quite a bit of experience with robotics and competitions which made for a much better experience. And they always had fun in the labs - simple things like music playlists or joking around were always the norm and that really made kids feel at home.
(5) Social dynamics and experience
When you work closely with people, it's easy to form bonds and that's exactly what our daughter did. Aside from volunteering, she is still in touch with some of the team members. Just as important is the connection she had with the coaches. They acted as mentors, not just for robotics but for school and beyond. There wasn't any bullying going on when my daughter was there but considering that part of the makeup of BotCamp is to teach kids things beyond robotics (ie communication and collaboration), I have no doubt that the coaches would work with the kids to ensure that no bullying occurred.
(5) Skills and growth
Obviously, learning the robotics skills was new, and our daughter applies some of the strategies to her robotics today. As mentioned in one of the other sections, going to BotCamp was fantastic for improving soft skills like communication, time management, collaboration, and confidence. One of the ways that our daughter went out of her comfort zone was through judges' interviews for competitions. Like many people, our daughter wasn't that comfortable presenting in front of other people. But as part of competitions, the judges would interview each team to better understand how the robot was built and programmed, and its strategies. The team had to practice their interview skills and learn how to communicate during that time. That was another great learning experience.
(5) Staff/Instructors/Counsellors
The staff were, and are, amazing. Their communication with the kids and parents was great, ensuring everyone was in the know about any competitions or changes. Even during COVID when the lab was closed, there were still virtual sessions, critically important when competitions were still going on. When conflict did arise, staff were quick to communicate, understanding, compassionate and eager to find solutions that worked for everyone. And I'll mention again just how fun the sessions were for the kids. You really could not ask for anyone better!
(5) Advice and tips
The only two pieces of advice I'd give parents who are considering BotCamp are 1) Try it! It is an amazing program and I wish it extended to kids older than 13. And 2) If you are registering for summer camps or March Break camps, do it early as they tend to fill up quickly.
And the only thing I wish I had known before sending our daughter is that BotCamp was already up and running a few years before we sent our daughter. Had we known, we would have sent her earlier!
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