Austin Peay’s Google-sponsored summer coding camps to add Roblox weeks

(Posted on Monday, May 23, 2022)

Austin Peay State University’s popular summer coding camps return this year with an exciting new offering – middle and high schoolers can learn to code their own Roblox games.

The new Roblox camps join already popular camps: Learn Programming with Minecraft, Make Your Own Websites and Make Your Own Video Games.

“These camps are a chance for your child to learn more about something that they already love – video games,” said Dr. James Church, associate professor in APSU’s Department of Computer Science and Information Technology. “What we want to do is take something that children are extremely interested in and turn it into the passion projects and careers they’ll have down the road.”

And – thanks to a competitive grant from Google – anyone who wants to attend the camps can sign up at a steep discount. The first half of campers who sign up will get a 90% discount off the normal $99 price. All other campers will get a 60% discount. The discount codes are on the coding camp website.

Not only does Google provide funding for the camps, but Google Data Center representatives will also visit each of the camps every Friday to give the children a virtual tour of the center and answer their many questions.

Church also will some of the grant’s $48,000 to expand activities for the campers.

But the shiny new feature of this year’s camps will be learning how to build Roblox games.

“What we’ve learned (from previous coding camps) is that kids love video games and want to learn how they’re made,” Church said. “We’re providing an experience where kids can make their own video games in the span of a week.”

This summer, Austin Peay is offering 10 camps. All camps are half-day and Monday-Friday.

Austin Peay Coding Camp

Middle school camps

For those entering sixth, seventh or eighth grades.

Learn Programming with Minecraft, Camp A.

Registration deadline: May 27.
Camp times: 9 a.m.-noon, May 31-June 3.

Code Your Own Roblox Games, Camp B.

Registration deadline: May 27.
Camp times: 1:30-4:30 p.m., May 31-June 3.

Learn Programming with Minecraft, Camp C.

Registration deadline: June 1.
Camp times: 9 a.m.-noon, June 6-10.

Code Your Own Roblox Games, Camp D.

Registration deadline: June 1.
Camp times: 1:30-4:30 p.m., June 6-10.

Make Your Own Websites, Camp E.

Registration deadline: June 9.
Camp times: 9 a.m.-noon, June 13-17.

Learn Programming with Minecraft, Camp F.

Registration deadline: June 9.
Camp times: 1:30-4:30 p.m., June 13-17.

High school camps

For those entering ninth, 10^th, 11^th or 12^th grades and those entering their first year of college.

Code Your Own Roblox Games, Camp G.

Registration deadline: June 16.
Camp times: 9 a.m.-noon, June 20-24.

Make Your Own Video Games, Camp H.

Registration deadline: June 16.
Camp times: 1:30-4:30 p.m., June 20-24.

Make Your Own Websites, Camp I.

Registration deadline: June 23.
Camp times: 9 a.m.-noon, June 27-July 1.

Make Your Own Video Games, Camp J.

Registration deadline: June 23.
Camp times: 1:30-4:30 p.m., June 27-July 1.

The camps will be at APSU’s state-of-the-art computer labs in the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building and the College of STEM Technology Building.

All the camps are led by Austin Peay bachelor’s or master’s degree students, and the materials are provided by APSU computer science professors.

Austin Peay also provides month-long Junior Coder Classes for third- through 12^th-grade students during the fall and spring semesters and just finished its April classes.

For more information, visit www.apsu.edu/csci/camp.

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