This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Microsoft Store in New York City—but believe me, I wasn’t the only one. A tribe of high school-age boys was also in the store, sampling Microsoft’s games and other high-tech goodies.
But you don’t have to be a high schooler to enjoy the store. This summer, Microsoft is offering five free YouthSpark Summer Camps to students of all ages. They—and their parents—will learn about coding, helping others in their community, even filmmaking.
Sampling each of the five camps, I had an illustrated dog sitting in the palm of my hand—on screen, of course—and mastered enough code to create a bat storm. I was also dissed, just a bit, by an Ohbot—a type of robot. (I took it in stride.)
In other words, your kids are going to love this.
STEM Summer Camps for Youngsters—and Their Parents
At Microsoft stores across the country, these camps are set up to inspire the next generation of philanthropists, filmmakers, and robotics engineers, says a Microsoft spokeswoman. They were developed by experts to make sure students come away having developed future-forward digital skills.
Here’s more info about each camp below.
- Create a Difference in Your World supports future philanthropists and the one in 10 members of Gen Z who want to start a charity by offering ways to use technology to do good. Students will develop an actionable plan for a humanitarian effort of their choice and learn about the business of fundraising, volunteering, and creating awareness for their cause.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
- Code A Talking Robot With Ohbot provides students with hands-on access to the Ohbot robot, available to purchase at Microsoft.com beginning Friday, June 1, and teaches them to bring it to life by coding movements and speech.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Two 2-hour sessions
- Make Your Own Movie With 3D And Mixed Reality provides students with access to Microsoft’s latest 3D drawing and movie-making technology. From character development and storyboarding to shooting and editing, students learn how to create their own movie and are encouraged to invite friends and family to their Microsoft Store-hosted movie premiere at the end of camp.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
- Beginners Fun with Computers and Coding is a fun and engaging way for first-time coders to build a coding foundation and learn how computers and code work. At the end of the camp, students show off their new skills in a student-led session for parents.
- Ages: 6–8
- Duration: One 2-hour session
- Minecraft Coding: Learn computer science with your favorite game in an inclusive and immersive experience of creating, exploring, and learning code in the popular world of Minecraft with MakeCode.
- Ages: 8+
- Duration: Four 2-hour sessions
Camps start in late May and run through August, depending on local store and school schedules. Register for camp in person at a local Microsoft store, or online.