Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to host several summer camps

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 18, 2017

SALISBURY — Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will again have youth summer camps this year.

This summer will mark the seventh year of a growing number of summer camps at the college. Students can learn the basics of creating a video game, producing animated films, building engineering skills and more. The camps are designed to inspire students as they explore their interests.

“These camps are not only fun but a great way for youth to investigate future career opportunities,” said college President Carol S. Spalding.

Rowan-Cabarrus developed the summer camps as an introduction for students to technology. The course offerings have grown based on feedback and needs.

“These budding animators, engineers, filmmakers and graphic designers often don’t even realize they are learning important transferrable skills and concepts they will eventually need in order to succeed in the competitive workforce” said Spalding. “Students complete the camps with an affordable exposure to the college experience and a blend of learning and doing.”

The camps cover a variety of topics:

• Make Your First Video Game: June 19-22 at Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC) in Concord and June 26-29 at North Campus, Salisbury.

Participants will create a 2D platformer video game using characters that they choose. Conceptualization, challenge levels, graphics, sound and simple coding are some of the topics. No experience is necessary. Ages 11-14. $149

• Babysitter certification: June 19-20, RCCC at North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis.

Designed for youths who plan to babysit, this camp includes basic babysitter certification from the American Red Cross. Participants will learn leadership skills in developing a babysitting business as well as learn to keep themselves and others safe and help children behave. Basic child care will be taught by the college’s early-childhood faculty. Ages 11-18. $149

• Minecraft animators: June 19-22, CBTC, and June 26-29, North Campus.

Using Minecraft characters, students will create an animated short film. They will learn how studios such as Pixar and Disney make movies like “Inside Out” and “Frozen” using techniques such as keyframing, tweening, texturing and animating rigged 3D models. Ages 11-14. $149

• Lego video games: June 26-29, North Campus, and July 10-13, CBTC.

Students will create a video game adventure with Lego characters. At the end of the program, every student will have a game that can be shared through a password-protected website. Ages 8-11. $149

• Lego Comics: Design Your Own Adventure: June 26-29, North Campus, and July 10-13, CBTC.

The student is the star when he creates a digital illustrated story or graphic novel, fighting alongside superheroes, hanging with the Nexo Knights, or going into space with Rey and Finn. A digital comic book can be shared on a password-protected website. Ages 8-11. $149

• Minecraft Modders: July 10-13, CBTC, and July 17-20, North Campus.

Students will create and modify Minecraft characters, tools and mobs using a favorite game to learn the basics of modding and foundations of programming, scripting and logic statements. Introductory coding will be taught through a simulated environment inspired by Minecraft. Ages 11-14. $149

• App Attack: July 10-13, CBTC, and July 17-20, North Campus.

Campers will make mobile apps like the ones seen on the App Store. Using a specialized app and game development tool, students will explore web-based (HTML5) apps and see firsthand how apps are published. Students do not need a smartphone or tablet to take the class. Ages 11-14. $149

• STEM challenge with Lego: July 17-20, North Campus, and July 24-27, CBTC.

Learn engineering skills with Play-Well TEKnologies and thousands of Lego bricks. North Campus projects will focus on architecture and construction and include Catapults, Pneumatic Cranes. and Arch Bridges. Cabarrus Business and Technology Center projects will stress physics in motion and include Belt-Drive Cars and Rail Racers. Ages 8-11. $149

• Jedi master engineering using Lego: July 17-20, North Campus.

The “Force Awakens” in this engineering course for young Jedi teaching key engineering concepts such as gear trains, worm drives, pneumatics and eccentric motion. Campers will build Lego x-wings, pod racers, star destroyers, cloud cities, fortresses, or other complex machines and structures “from a galaxy far, far away.” Ages 8-11. $149

• Code breakers: July 24-27, CBTC, and July 31-Aug. 3, North Campus.

Using code to make ideas become reality, this camp explores the basics of coding languages like HTML, JavaScript and CSS through a series of web projects and design challenges. Ages 11-14. $149

• Engineering FUNdamentals: Mine, Craft and Build Using Lego: July 24-27, CBTC.

Build a motorized walking creeper or a motorized Minecraft in this project-based camp. Students will explore real-world concepts in physics, engineering and architecture while building Minecraft objects. Ages 8-11. $149

• Groovin’ on Graphics: July 24-27, South Campus, Concord.

Campers will develop visually compelling images used for games, film and graphic arts. They will become familiar with Adobe Creative Suite and learn how to make layer-based images, merge photos, use filters to create unreal effects and more. Ages 14-18. $299

• Groovin’ on Graphics: The Next Level: July 31-Aug. 3, South Campus.

This camp focuses on the Adobe Creative Cloud and its application to web development. Students will learn intermediate imaging techniques and create an online portfolio to market their design and web skills. Prerequisite: Groovin’ on Graphics I or experience using Adobe Creative Suite. Ages 14-18. $299

• Minecraft designers: July 24-27, CBTC, and July 31-Aug. 3, North Campus.

Students will create custom Minecraft designs and learn the basics of creating 3D models using a new software to design objects, create skins for characters, and import them into Minecraft games. To access their project at home, students must own a PC/MAC version of Minecraft. Tablet, phone and game console versions of Minecraft are not compatible with camp software. Ages 11-14. $149

For more information on the camps, visit www.rccc.edu/camps. For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu.