Members of Team Orange react Thursday, June 12, 2025, as one of its robots misses scoring 30 points during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Brooklynn Galbraith, 9, left, and Everett Medeiros, 10, celebrate Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Pink members, from left, Phillip LoGiudice and Kyler Gates, both 10, get help from California Baptist University student Evan Pennington on reprogramming their robot during the Summer Robotics Camp at California Baptist University on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Pink members react Thursday, June 12, 2025, as one of its robots scores during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Orange member MacKenzie Schenk, 11, picks up her robot Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Orange member Gavin MacBeth, 9, looks over his robot Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Ryan Sanders, 10, left, reacts as his robot collects its target Thursday, June 12, 2025, while Brooklynn Galbraith, 9, watches during the Summer Robotics Camp at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Pink members prepare to test a robot Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Pink member Ryan Sanders, 10, reprograms his robot Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Team Yellow members, from left, Jacob Kang and Cristiano Rosillo, both 10, watch their robot Thursday, June 12, 2025, during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Brooklynn Galbraith, 9, reacts Thursday, June 12, 2025, as a robot misses it target during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
1 of 11
Members of Team Orange react Thursday, June 12, 2025, as one of its robots misses scoring 30 points during the Summer Robotics Camp at the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University in Riverside. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Expand
That’s what youths found out at the annual Summer Robotics Camp this week at California Baptist University in Riverside.
The four-day session, which ended Thursday, June 12, was hosted by the Riverside university’s Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering.
The camp aimed to give kids between 9 and 13 a hands-on introduction to robotics and engineering using the familiar Lego toys to teach science, technology, engineering and math concepts, including coding, a news release states.
About 50 students from across the Inland Empire got to build, program and test their Lego robots with assistance from university engineering faculty and staff members and student mentors, the release states.
“Hands-on learning is key to brain development among the next generation,” Phil Van Haaster, dean of California Baptist University’s engineering college said in the release. “The Lego camp gives kids a fun and creative way to explore engineering. It’s our chance to show them that curiosity in STEM can spark innovation.”
