2020 - STEAM classes offered through ECC’s summer Kids’ College

This summer, Elgin Community College’s Kids’ College has a new focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) courses. Registration is now open the summer enrichment day camp offering a variety of classes of every interest to children and teens ages 5 to 15.

“We know that parents want to keep the learning going in the summer, and Kids’ College makes every effort to develop courses that are fun and informative,” said Karin Quist, Kids’ College coordinator. The age range for many courses was also narrowed to zone in on targeted learners in addition to more sections of similar classes to accommodate more students.

Kids’ College runs Monday through Thursday from June 15 through July 23 in half-day sessions that last four days. All classes are held at Elgin Community College’s Spartan Drive Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

With the new STEAM focus, Kids’ College is debuting several new manufacturing courses, including CAD/3D printing, welding and machining, and robotics. These manufacturing camps are provided through a grant from Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International. This marks the third year ECC has received a grant from this foundation for Kids’ College programming.

“We are very fortunate to partner with FMA again to offer the camps at an affordable rate, and are especially pleased that our own faculty will share their expertise by developing and teaching these classes,” said Quist.

The Kids’ College Manufacturing Camps are designed for kids ages 14-16. Courses include:

CEK – 963 Manufacturing Camp: CAD/3D Printing – July 13- July 16

Students will learn the fundamental concepts of “from art to part’ by designing an enclosure for a medical device used to help prevent infections in cancer patients. Using Solidworks 3D CAD software, students will design and analyze a part and 3D print a prototype of the students’ final designs. This camp is taught by Christopher Sikora, ECC assistant professor of CAD.

CEK – 965 Manufacturing Camp: Welding and Machining – June 22 – June 25

In this all-day camp, students will begin in the CNC lab using manufacturing software, MasterCAM, to design a machine part to specifications outlined in the programming software. Students will also be exposed to PlasmaCAM to experience how cut speed on the CNC machine can be adjusted without reprogramming the machine. This camp is taught by ECC faculty members Marc Hucek, ECC associate professor of Welding, Chester Collins, Welding faculty, and Umberto Tinajero, instructor of Industrial Manufacturing Technology/Computer Integrated Manufacturing

CEK – 969 Manufacturing Camp: Robotics – June 15 – June 18

Students will work with a Cartesian coordinate system to determine the point in a plane through two numbers; the x-coordinate and y-coordinate of the point, and how this 3D positioning relates to the programming of robots. Students will learn how to program the motions of the robot using handheld devices that could be wired or wireless. This camp will include exposure to real-world industry through a speaker and/or field trip. This camp is taught by Michael Marin, ECC instructor of Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R).

Other summer courses include science, technology, art, and math subjects. For the full list of Kids’ College courses and additional information, visit elgin.edu/kidscollege. Make sure to select ‘Summer 2020’ from the selection tabs when browsing course offerings. All classes are taught by experienced instructors. Materials are provided for the classes unless otherwise noted.

Parents should register their children early, as space is limited. There are need-based scholarships available to families who qualify. To find out more, please call the Continuing Education Department at 847-214-7123.