The first of three robotics camps to be hosted by the university this summer, the Girls Can! Camp took place June 2-5 and gave campers the opportunity to build and program robots, utilizing math, creativity, and more.

Saint Leo’s camp helps expose girls to technology and more. For Dr. Monika Kiss, professor of mathematics and director of the camp, hosting a robotics camp dedicated to teaching young women about robotics is a mission.

“As a woman in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math], it’s important to be a mentor to young women,” Kiss said. 

“It’s my responsibility, and it’s a way to pay it forward.”

Girls are learning programming early and doing it in different ways, Kiss added. “I learn from them, too, and then I bring that learning back [to the university] and my classes.”

According to a report by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Science Board, in 2021, 24% of U.S. workers held a STEM occupation, but of those, only 18% of female workers held a STEM occupation. In 2024, the STEM workforce numbered 36.8 million people, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts growth in STEM occupations through 2032 to be up to 7% annually.

Saint Leo’s Girls Can! Robotics Camp provided a foundation for STEM exploration. The campers worked with LEGO® EV3 Mindstorm robots during the first days of the camp and then on Wednesday, June 4, the began using LEGO’s SPIKE™ Prime platforms.

Kiss asked the camp participants to compare the SPIKE robot with the Mindstorm. Besides being in brighter colors including pink, the SPIKE features different types of “brains,” sensors, ports, and motors. The sensor which looks like it has “googly eyes” is an ultrasonic sensor, Kiss said. The programming of the two types of robots is different, too, and the campers practiced programming using words.

The campers intently built their SPIKE robots, some succeeding quickly at getting their robot to move. Kiss questioned them about what they saw on the brain of the robots. “Numbers,” was the response. The numbers appear as pixels, Kiss explained. On top of camper Sophia Ustymenko’s robot, the number 1 appeared in lights, while a zero formed on top of Reagan Kubasek’s. The next step was for the girls to figure out how to draw different figures using the light matrix by programming the SPIKE robots.

Reagan, who, attends Seven Oaks Elementary School in Wesley Chapel, FL, said she was enjoying building the robots during Saint Leo’s camp as did Voke Koyonda, a rising freshman at Tampa Catholic High School.

Kiss was assisted by Bao Han, who graduated May 7 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science and is pursuing a Master of Science computer science, along with sophomore Jasmin Torres, who is majoring in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Han said it was the first time he had volunteered at the camp, and he was enjoying the experience of working with the youngsters. 

“I keep reminding them that this is not school, and they’re supposed to have fun,” he said.

Camp participant L.J. Dexter, who attends Academy at the Farm in Dade City, FL, she was enjoying the Lego robots and the experience of being on a university campus. “I wanted to see what an actual college student does,” she said. “But I’m also here for the fun and cookies!”

Torres, who is one of two female students in Saint Leo’s Bachelor of Science in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Degree Program, is a graduate of Pasco High School in Dade City, and its Cambridge Program. Working at the Girls Can! Robotics Camp was perfect for her because, “I love Legos and building,” she said. “And I love robotics.”

Both the building and creativity appeal to her, she said about robotics. She’s interested in the animatronics featured at Walt Disney World and perhaps a future career with Walt Disney Imagineering, the development and design team behind those robots. Her advice for the Girls Can! Campers: “If you like it [robotics], keep going in this field,” Torres said. “It’s a very male-driven industry, but it’s very interesting.”

Next Camps

Saint Leo University’s robotics camps continue in June and spaces are available. The camps are:

Co-ed Robotics Camp to be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 9-13, for middle-school students. Campers will explore building, programming, and working with like-minded students. Information and registration can be found at https://saintleorobotics.totalcamps.com/shop/product/448023. For more information, email monika.kiss@saintleo.edu.

Cyber-Bot Programming Camp will be offered for high school students 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 16-20. While Saint Leo previously hosted robotics camps for high school students, this is the first time the camp will use the Parallax platform. This hands-on camp will foster creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Campers will use the Parallax robotics platform to build and program versatile robots and gain insights into mechanics, electronics, and sensor integration. Information and registration can be found at https://saintleorobotics.totalcamps.com/shop/product/448026.

For more information, email monika.kiss@saintleo.edu

“These camps will help students appreciate the growing field of robotics, engage in STEM, build friendships, as well as learn to work in teams, among other things,” said Kiss, who also is chair of the Mathematics Department for the College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS).