When it comes to summer camps, “engineering” might not be the first word that comes to mind. However, a summer camp coming in August to the Roudenbush Community Center is seeking to change that.
Based in Lexington, Empow Studios is holding seven vacation camps this summer across Massachusetts, including inaugural camps in Boston’s Back Bay and here in Westford.
For Empow’s David Gutierrez, Westford seemed like a natural fit due to the amount of children with parents in a STEM program, comparable programs nearby, staff members already living in the Greater Lowell area. But what clinched it is the amount of parents he saw during a recent fair for camps in Acton.
“A lot of the parents are travelling just to find programs, and a lot were coming from Westford,” he said.
The three-week camp is split into two parts: a two-week “tech and design” camp focused on various engineering activities like designing and coding robots and 3D Printing to things like creating animation or coding video games.
In the final week of the program, campers learn about engineering by creating advanced simulated electrical systems in Minecraft.
During the camp, students are given support as well as an opportunity to focus on what suits their interest instead of a set schedule.
“We’re different than the other tech camps, we let the kids’ imagination take them where they want,” said Gutierrez. “If they dive into multiple projects during the camp, that’s awesome. But we don’t force kids to learn things they don’t want to.”
During the school year, Empow hosts after school programs, classes and clubs organized around engineering topics as well.
More information is available at empow.me/camp/westford
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