2024 Barbados Junior Robotics Camp
The Barbados Junior Robotics Camp (BJRC) is an annual summer enrichment program for young Barbadian students interested in robotics. The BJRC is offered at 4 different levels for students in in the 10 to 18 age range. The BJRC is conducted by the CSF in partnership with the UWI Barbados Cave Hill Campus. Please read the overview of the BJRC at https://caribbeanscience.org/barbados-junior-robotics-camp/ for more details.
All four camp levels will run in parallel. For students, the Camp will begin on Tuesday 16 July 2024 and conclude on Friday 16 August 2024 with lab clean up, followed by the awards and certificate presentations. The month-long camps will run Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, except for holidays on the Campus of UWI, Barbados. The highlight will be the Students’ Public Showcase of their robots in action on the afternoon of Thursday 15 August 2024.
The curricula for the 4 camps are described below. Through these curricula, the students employ basic principles from physics, learn engineering design principles, enhance their computer programming skills, and explore examples of how science and math are applied to robotics and engineering. All campers are expected to follow along with the camp content outside camp hours for the duration of the camp. This includes homework and personal study/research requiring approximately 2 hours per night (weekends included).
One major highlight of the BJRC is the Final Projects Presentation where campers showcase their various robotics projects to the public. To ensure a successful event, campers must work diligently on their robots and presentations for the showcase throughout the five weeks of the camp. It can be a challenge to finish projects on time, as troubleshooting, fixing problems and final tweaks always take longer than expected. It is therefore essential that all campers be fully focused during the camp and be present for all camp hours. If the camper is involved in other activities that would overlap with the camp and may cause the camper to be late or miss camp days, he/she should not participate in the camp.
The Levels I & II Camps – The Beginners
Levels I & II are for children who have little or no previous STEM, programming, or robotics experience. Level I students are at least 10 and less than 13 years of age, while Level II students are at least 13 and less than 15 years of age by July 1, 2024. The aim of the Levels I & II camps is to introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts to children in the above-mentioned age range. While no previous experience in robotics is required, the camp is targeted at children who are passionately interested in science and technology. Students at the upper end of the Level I age range who progress rapidly may be promoted to the Level II Camp after two weeks in Level I.
The Level III Camp – The Creators
The Level III Camp is open to students who have some robotics experience, and who are at least 13 and less than 19 years of age by July 1 of the year of the Camp. Level IIIA is for students between 13 and 15 years of age. Level IIIB is for students between 16 and 19 years of age. The same syllabus is followed in both camps. However, after student enrollment, the CSF reserves the right to shift students to the Level that is most appropriate for them. If Level III is under-subscribed the two levels will be merged.
Level III comprises a mix of classroom teaching, and hands-on building, programming and the use of micro-controllers. Level III focuses on both “teleoperated” and fully “autonomous” robots, that require a substantial amount of computer programming. For example some Level III robots could involve the use of AppInventor, and Arduino kit robots. Campers will learn to document their program-algorithms using standard practices, and work with maps for navigation. The goal is to design and/or build robots that can robustly run a sophisticated obstacle course from a random starting point without human intervention; primarily through the use of “feedback-driven” action sequences created using “text-based” programming tools and complex sensors.
Level III applicants must: (1) demonstrate that they have the STEM, programming or robotics experience to handle the challenges that will be encountered and (2) have a favorable review from their former coaches, and/or teachers/Principal.
The Level IV Camp – The Innovators
The Level IV Camp is open to persons who are at least 15 and less than 19 years old on July 1 of the Camp year. The lower age requirement of 15 years is imposed because Level IV requires the use of power tools, and safety is our major concern (no exceptions).
The goal of the Level IV Camp is to design and build fully “autonomous” robots that can address a contemporary problem, primarily through the use of “feedback-driven” action sequences created using programming tools along with simple sensors. The Level IV students are given a set of random parts, and they use 3-D printers to create custom parts as needed for their design. Level IV students must build their robots from scratch, and the robots must employ micro-controllers and a high-level programming language. That is, Level IV campers are expected to design and build their own robots without the use of off-the-shelf kits. Their designs must employ Arduinos and/or Raspberry Pi’s. Preferred programming languages are Python and C++. The use of AI and machine-learning algorithms is encouraged.
Level IV applicants must: (1) demonstrate that they have the STEM, programming or robotics experience to handle the challenges that will be encountered and (2) have a favorable review from their former coaches, and/or teachers. Level IV Campers will be expected to work in a safety-conscious manner when using hand and power tools, and to document both builds and algorithms using standard practices.
2024 Camp Application Requirements
1. Recommendation Form for New BJRC Campers
If it is a child’s first time applying to the BJRC, the BJRC recommendation form from either a science or math teacher, or a principal, or a robotics coach of the child is required as one component of the application to the Camp. This recommendation form is available for download at one of the links below, as appropriate for the child’s camp level. The recommendation form should be printed out and given to the teacher or Principal for submission to the CSF before 11:59 pm EST on 07 July 2024. Alternatively, the teacher or Principal may download the form directly from the website using the appropriate link below. However, from the CSF’s perspective, the camper is ultimately responsible for making sure the teacher, coach or Principal gets hold of the form and submits it to applications.csf@gmail.com by the application deadline.
Recommendation Form for Levels I & II
For Levels I & II, the recommendation form can be downloaded in .doc format from the link below:
BJRC 2024 Teacher-Principal Recommendation Form for Levels I & II
Recommendation Form for Levels III & IV
For Levels III & IV, the recommendation form can be downloaded in .doc format from the link below:
BJRC 2024 Teacher-Principal Recommendation Form for Levels III & IV
2. Survey Form for Previous BJRC Campers
Please note that all current applicants who previously participated in a CSF Robotics Camp are required to fill out and submit the online survey for the last camp in which they participated, in order for their applications to be considered. This means that previous Level I – III campers from the 2015 – 2023 BJRC who wish to participate in the next level up in the 2024 BJRC must fill out the survey for their last camp experience, if they have not already done so. The form can be accessed at