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Camp Administration

Schedule

Camp is 2 weeks long from 9am to 4pm. Check out the schedule below for timing and other suggested activities. We have found that using mornings for cognitively-heavy tasks and afternoons for less taxing building and decorating is most productive and leads to happy campers! Take frequent breaks incorporating physical activity to avoid burnout.

Intro Activities

We like to start off camp by giving participants a feel for “coding” using the Project GUTS PBJ Robot activity and the My Robotic Friends cup stacking activity. This is a good way to drive home the importance of precise logic without having to yet delve into the new (for many) world of code. These are also fun icebreaker activities, and can be done as a large group, in small groups, or a mixture of the two.

Camp Worksheets

We use a worksheet packet to direct the design process as we go through camp. The pin reservation worksheet should be completed with an instructor who should double-check that the current draw requirements and number of pins needed for that design are suitable, and to guide teams to simplify or modify the design as necessary to mind the constraints on Arduino pins and current draw through each component and through the power supply.

Camp Breadboards

The breadboard design is shared on Fritzing. A parts list can be assembled from that design but a more complete list will be linked here soon.

Volunteer Management

Volunteer Training Workshops

A workshop series of ~6-10 sessions of ~1-2 hours each consisting of the following should suffice for training new volunteers:

  1. Camp goals and structure, Engineering process, PBJ robot, cup stacking
  2. Teach volunteers to solder LEDs/resistors and piezos (solder and varnish)
  3. Arduino Workshops
  4. Test ALL breadboards with pinball template
  5. Simulate brainstorm, proposal worksheets, program consultation, supply request
  6. Discuss common issues and practice troubleshooting
  7. Power supply outputs
  8. Ground and +5V line issues
  9. Shift register connections
  10. Board and Port for Arduino connections
  11. Simulate prototyping for anyone who will be helping with that

Programming Consultants

Camp leaders don’t have time to give detailed help to every team. Instead, consider providing a volunteer “consultant” for every 2-3 teams, to help teams plan/program/prototype. They should review proposal worksheets and help fill out pin reservation worksheets. This is the time to drive home the importance of having a reasonably simple design.

These same consultants should be available for all of the prototyping days, in order to become familiar with the groups to which they are assigned. This will help optimize everyone’s focus and reduce stress.

Mechanical/Decoration Volunteers

These volunteers don’t need as much advance training. They are just around to help maintain order! Mechanical volunteers need to have seen how a table is assembled, and 3D printing volunteers should have at least tried the software out.

Camp Leader Suggestions

Make Rules

  • Keep a good star system with the promise of a reward (Voodoo Doughnuts?)
  • Set good rules right off the bat
  • Electronics safety (not making random connections, not plugging in Arduino without plugging in power supply, unplugging power before making new connections)
  • Soldering safety (don’t burn yourself or others, always use the soldering iron holder, don’t breathe the fumes)
  • Paint safety (Paint only over a secondary containment and use smocks, clean up paint spills immediately, watch out for others!)
  • Keeping tidy (Strip wires over a trash can or tray and dispose properly, always leave drills on chargers when not in use, return common supplies to their homes immediately after you finish with them)
  • Give cheeky awards: “Group who broke the least expensive electronic equipment”

Supply Management

Keep group supplies and shared supplies separate. Make sure groups keep track of their own stuff, to reduce chaos.

Supplies for each group (keep it in a box/bucket):

  • masking tape
  • sharpie
  • scissors
  • wire strippers
  • box of wire
  • narrow duct tape
  • electrical tape
  • pencil

Supplies for every 1-2 groups:

  • dedicated drills and bits (both large, small, and phillips head)
  • soldering station (or have 3-4 overall, but sometimes it’s convenient to have it by the table)
  • hot glue gun

Organize shared supplies by type:

  • soldering
  • hardware
  • craft