The CocoNuts Robotics Website by Vitas Zukowski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
The CocoNuts have been and will be continue to perform demonstrations for local schools to get youth excited about science and engineering, as well as to recruit students to the CocoNuts from other local middle and high schools.
The CocoNuts also are heavily involved with Flagstaff's annual "Festival of Science," participating in both the Northern Arizona University Engineering Day and the "Science in the Park" event in downtown Flagstaff's Wheeler Park. The CocoNuts are also active participants in STEM activites at local schools. They were judges at two local science fairs, as well as had exhibits at numerous elementry school science nights.
This summer the CocoNuts put on the first annual "C.O.C.N.U.T.S", a week long summer camp centered around programming FLL robots using NXT Software to children ages 9-14. C.O.C.O.N.U.T.S. stands for Crazy, Outragous Camp of Nutty, Unique Technology & Science. The CocoNuts and the 42 kids they taught had a great time, and many of the children joined local FLL Teams.
The CocoNuts annually teach and write curriculum for the Northern Arizona University Summer Enrichment Program. The program involves teaching under-represented, underprivaleged teenage youth about STEM using FLL robots and NXT Software. At the end of the week the childeren preformed missions similar to that of FLL centered around a Mars Rover theme. This year, almost one fourth of the students returned home and are planning on joining their local FRC teams. Our summer program inspired one girl from Miami/Globe, Arizona to start a FTC team at her high school (the team will not be able to compete this season (2011), due to low funds, but they are hoping to compete in the 2012 season).
In Fall 2010 the CocoNuts traveled to Phoenix to present to 50 teachers about the FIRST Robotics programs, with a foucus on FLL for an Excellence in Afterschool Programs seminar.
In March 2010, the CocoNuts visited Prescott, Arizona to engage in a day-long series of presentations for over 800 K-8 students. It is the CocoNuts' intention that this kickstarts the FIRST Lego League program in the Prescott/Prescott Valley/Chino Valley area in a similar fashion to what happened in Flagstaff. The project is moving forward smoothly, as two teams were able to attend the Northern Arizona FLL Tournament in 2010!
Complete List of Outreach Events:
-Flagstaff Festival of Science
-NAU Engineering Day
-CHS Homecoming Parade
-Flagstaff's 4th of July Parade
-Marshall Elementry Exploration Station
-Knoles Elementry School Science Night
-Killip Elementry School Science Night
-"Lights On" for FACTS Afterschool Program
-PEAKS School Science Fair Judging
-Demos at the Flagstaff Mall
-Sinagua Middle School Science Night
-FUSD Sights and Sounds
-100 Youth Friendly Cities Celebration
-NAU Summer Enrichment Program
-C.O.C.O.N.U.T.S.
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Page last updated 02-13-2012
