Engaging Creative Minds connects kids with STEM skills

Lego Robotics, Star Wars Animation and Minecraft Modders are just a few of the workshops students ages 7 to 14 can participate in during SUNY Oswego's summer 2017 weeklong Engaging Creative Minds programs in July and August. 

Developed by SUNY Oswego's Division of Extended Learning, the Engaging Creative Minds program provides Oswego County youth opportunities to explore hot topics in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) while meeting new friends, discovering new interests and unleashing creativity.

G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton hosts programs from July 10 to 14 and July 17 to 21, with sessions in SUNY Oswego's Marano Campus Center running Aug. 7 to 11 and Aug. 14 to 18.

Students can choose from workshops that teach robotic programming, 3D printing, video game development, animation and more. Cost is $139 for each workshop, which is three hours per day.

Attending Engaging Creative Minds is an interactive way for kids to keep their minds active during the summer months and beat the summer brain drain, organizers said.

"It's so wonderful to see young people utilizing the resources of the college while having fun and actively learning," said Jill Pippin, dean of the Division of Extended Learning.

"Parents of past participants have shared that their child enjoyed working with the other students and instructors to develop their own video games, and they didn't realize they were learning," Pippin added.

"You can choose to attend in the morning, afternoon or both and scholarships are available for qualified students," said program manager Robin Duger. 

Schedules, workshop descriptions and registration for the few remaining spots can be found at https://www.oswego.edu/extended-learning/summer-youth-programs. 

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