Minnetonka Community Education

Design, build, program, test and modify multiple robots using the LEGO® Mindstorms EV3 robotics system, then use your team’s robot to complete various challenges related to our animal friends. Build a robot to deliver animals to safety, put cows out to pasture, reunite separated panda bears and more. Our focus is on the FIRST® LEGO® League’s Animal Allies challenge. NOTE: This course is a fantastic primer if you are interested in gaining experience for the FIRST® LEGO® League annual robotics competition. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. FIRST® is also a trademark. FIRST® does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

The next evolution in youth robotics is here! Build a seeing, sensing robot using LEGO® Bricks, then program it to complete unique tasks and challenges. Next, build a rescue helicopter to find animals in need of assistance and message headquarters with status updates. Students LEARN basic engineering and computer coding concepts; BUILD multiple LEGO® Bricks projects; EXPLORE how the projects and programming complement each other; and PLAY with different building and programming options. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

For engineers and builders ready for a challenge! Build a robotic DogBot, a motorized BugBot, geared-up Racer and a scary bat... all challenging for any connoisseur of LEGO® bricks, then use these projects to investigate engineering concepts. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

Build a robotic hand, robotic arm, stamping press, dinosaur and more - all using authentic LEGO® bricks. Use each project to investigate the power and design basics of pneumatics engineering. Find your summer mnemonics with our pneumatics summer camp! LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

Learn different video game and storytelling design techniques then use Scratch® to code your game. Write your own story and video game code, experiment with it, and test new options. Our collaborative learning environment encourages students to learn from each other. Students are able to keep their stories and video games online with Scratch® and can access it and expand upon it at any time. Scratch® is an MIT created and monitored, kid-safe web interface. It uses a drag and drop programming interface to teach students of all levels coding practices. Your child will receive a Scratch username and password so they can access their projects from any computer at any time. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

Expand your knowledge of chess and develop your understanding of strategy through a variety of dynamic lesson plans. Take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to learn from a master! Lesson plans include: Pins; Forks; Fried Liver Attack; Queen Sacrifices; Basics of Positional Play; Opening, Middle & End Game Strategies; In-Class Tournament and much more. IGOR RYBAKOV is chess in Minnesota. He has coached five state championship teams, two national champion players and boasts 100 memorized chess games. His classes are dynamic; his students are dedicated and hard to beat; his teams have more trophies than Michael Phelps has Olympic Medals! We will have ‘down’ time where students will get their pulse pounding with some outdoor or gym exercise. Please bring a water bottle, nut free snack and wear recess attire.

Launch and watch your very own rocket speed 300 feet into the air! Make and take home multiple rockets of varying difficulty. We will use these rockets and airplanes to investigate basic aeronautical concepts including: propulsion, thrust, lift, drag and more. We will also hypothesize about travel in outer space, how to get a United States astronaut to Mars and life on Mars. Do you have the right stuff? NOTE: Parents will be asked to contribute two, 2 liter soda bottles (empty) for 2 different experiments. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.

Investigate the basics of structural engineering, wheels, axles, teamwork and creative thinking. Build a car with a launcher, a boat, a spinning top using gears, a dog and more. LEGO® Duplo blocks and regular sized LEGO® blocks are used in this course. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Please bring a water bottle and nut free snack.