Computer Science

Group of Middle School students working on laptops

Students create apps for mobile devices, explore the impact of computing in society, and learn how computing applies in various career fields. The primary tool used in this class is MIT App Inventor which will allow students to design, develop, and test apps for Android tablets. Students also learn programming in Python.

Innovative Robotics

Middle School students smiling while working on a laptop

Through hands-on learning, students use VEX robotics kits to engage their natural curiosity while simultaneously developing a better grasp of the engineering process and how it can be applied in computer science, robotics, and the real world.
 

Engineer Design & Modeling

Middle School students wearing safety glasses and woodworking

Through varying design challenges, students identify a problem, brainstorm possible solutions, choose or synthesize a solution, build a prototype, test and evaluate it, and finally present the prototype to a panel. The projects vary from creating a foot/ankle orthosis for a child with cerebral palsy to 3D printing a puzzle to stop motion animation.
 

Automation & Robotics

Middle School student working on a robot in an Innovation Institute classroom

Students learn and apply the fundamentals of electricity and circuit design as they design and build original products that light up or move. After studying mechanical and electrical concepts, students construct and program autonomous robots using the LEGO Mindstorms program, creating and programming for a variety of tasks, from autonomous cleaning robots to sumo-inspired battlebots.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial dreams will be explored as students identify problems, develop business plans, and evaluate the risks and rewards of their enterprise. Design, marketing, and leadership skills will collide in a whirlwind of discovery as students learn by doing, all the while discovering their passions and solutions to meet real-world needs. The capstone of this course is an extensive and exciting Shark Tank-style presentation to local business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Art with Circuits

Students explore electricity and circuits by first manipulating snap-together electrical components and then designing and building simple circuits using switches, transistors, resistors, LEDs, motors, and more. Students also learn basic electrical engineering and prototyping skills to design and construct their own unique, custom electronic creations.