District 196 Community Education

Bring your imagination to life! Become a master bricklayer and use our special architectural LEGO® kits to build your creations. Be an architect and learn the principles of construction. Work in teamsto construct buildings, structures, towers, castles and more. Learn construction principles and use math skills as you experiment with scale and size, staggering vs. stacking bricks and more. Build houses with removable roofs, castles with turrets and towers of strength! With an active imagination as your guide, there are endless possibilities.

Explore the 3-D printing process from start to finish! Design 3D objects using TinkerCAD and use the 3-D slicing program Cura to bring your creations to life. From industrial design and manufacturing to software and hardware engineering, the 3D printing industry is booming. An excellent introduction to 3-D printing and ideal if you like to draw, design, imagine and see your creations come to life.

Using the latest WeDo® 2.0 system that LEGO® has to offer, ignite the STEM spark within! Explore logic, pattern recognition and math concepts as you and your team are challenged to build increasingly sophisticated designs while developing basic programming techniques using custom-made programming blocks in PCs. Gain hands-on experience effectively using gears, axles and connector blocks in the robotic challenges. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

It’s time to take your LEGO® skills to the next level and engineer simple machines using advanced LEGO® Technic® bricks. Explore mechanics and physical forces as you build machines that will surprise you. Then, have a blast taking the machines to the next level. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site

Level up your imagination! Infuse engineering design and a maker’s faire experience to create a cardboard arcade. Nurture your imagination and creativity through brainstorming, designing, and building a custom arcade game. Families and friends are invited to attend the final hour of the last session to play each cardboard arcade game. What game will you create?

Build a computer bot to play head-to-head against other coders! Players will be broken into pools based on age for competitive and fair play. Whether this is your first Code Championship event, or if you've been competing for years, this is the perfect way to explore the competitive coding world of Code Championship. No previous coding experience necessary. This event will be hosted online using Google Meet and the Code Championship website. If you have a modern browser like Chrome or Firefox, no additional download is required. Please come knowing how to navigate the internet (basic typing and mouse control). The link to the Google Meet event will be emailed two days before the tournament. Promotional Videos/Pictures: https://www.codechampionship.com/gallery/ * you may sign up for one or all tournaments. Each one will be a little different.

Hack into the code of classic games! Learn Java coding skills while modifying games such as Asteroids, Tetris, Snake and more! Designed for both beginners and more experienced students. Class requires basic keyboarding skills. Bring a flash drive to save code.

Messy? Slimy? Sticky? Explore chemical reactions in a fun, slimy way. Create all kinds of ooey gooey, sticky, bouncy, slimy mixtures. Be challenged to solve fun engineering problems and so much more. Let the mess stay behind, as fun memories and learning go home!

Unleash your imagination as you journey through the wide-ranging world of LEGO® building. Build models and discuss the engineering science behind each. See how engineering can be fun and silly, yet still educational and then be challenged to improve your model and customize your creations! Possible models include the Never-Look-Back Machine, Skittletops, Do-Nothing Machine, Coat Hanger Daredevil, Trapdoor Cable Car Parachute Machine, Rubberband Racer, Balloon-Powered Car, and other crazy action contraptions.

Combine engineering and alternative energy (solar, hydro, and wind)! Build cars, cranes, drawbridges, etc. from LEGO® kits and operate them using alternative energy sources. Work in teams and experiment with wind, water and solar panels, resulting in a high-powered, high-energy course! Projects include waterwheel, windmill, Ferris wheel, and solar car. Achieve an understanding of how energy is developed from the sun, wind and water. Use the concepts you learned to design and create a test car to compete against your classmates.

Search for clues, solve puzzles and engineer creative solutions to fun problems before your time runs out. Decipher secret messages, deduce clues and overcome STEM-focused challenges so you can escape "The Island." Participate in exhilarating challenges and also non-escape room related activities.

Dive into more advanced computer science topics that include artificial intelligence and augmented reality coding! Computers are getting smarter every day due to advances in machine learning algorithms. Coders can teach computers to recognize faces, play games and find patterns. Create a chatbot, Rock, Paper, Scissors game and more in our class. Expand expand your knowledge and code an augmented reality game.

New Class with new builds and challenges! Take your engineering skills to a higher level. Use the EV3 Mindstorm Robotics Systems and special LEGO® Technic™ engineering components to build extreme, competitive robots. Build remote-controlled robots inspired by the popular Discovery Channel’s “BattleBots.” Morph their projects into better, stronger, and faster robots to compete in a tournament on the last day.

Collaborate to create a mini-golf course complete with a tee, obstacles, the green, and the hole. In this hands-on problem-solving class, become a designer, builder, and creator. Turn a Sphero into a golf ball and design a mini-golf course to code your “golf ball” through the golf course. Create and debug the code in order to get a hole in one. Families and friends are invited to attend the final hour of the last session for a tee time and have their own Sphero caddy (the attendees). Give it a shot!

Get hands-on experience developing your own game using Scratch 3, a visual coding platform! Learn how to think like programmers and learn coding concepts while creating a 2-dimensional, arcade-style Super Mario Bros.-themed game. Instructor will lead the first part and with the time remaining,customize your games. Games created in class will be available online, or bring a USB drive for immediate access.

Learn to use Unity, a powerful programming suite used by professionals and indie game developers, to make and mod micro-video games. Make a speed booster pad, custom triggers, track twists, animations and more. Learn to make video games more fun by creating custom modifications. The software is available to download at home for free. Please bring a USB drive to class.

Minecraft, one of the most popular video games in history, offers an amazing world of endless possibilities limited only by your imagination. Intermediate and advanced Minecrafters learn how to expand your world’s abilities using popular game-enhancing mods. Participate in building challenges! Explore creating and editing skins and textures using photo editing software.

Journey to the magical world of Harry Potter! Build and program magical theme projects. Learn foundational building and be introduced to programming concepts while learning about sensors, motors and special technics components using the LEGO® Wedo Systems. Possible projects include magic chest, dragon, hippogriff, magic hat, magic carpet and magical staircase.

Love video games and Super Heroes? Create your own platform video games in this cool class! Choose your storyline with your favorite superheroes as your stars. Add challenges and levels of difficulty, then share them by email or post them on the web to challenge family and friends. Practice math, logic and programming, and put your video game talents to work!

Learn the most popular programming language in the world. No programming experience is necessary, but familiarity with doing common tasks using a computer operating system (text-editing and understanding directory structures) and keyboarding is required. Work through several simulations and challenges while learning the fundamentals of Java.

Newly updated coding projects! Create custom armor, items and blocks. Learn to mod Minecraft using Java and the Forge API and customize your gaming experience. Lear coding concepts and how to use Eclipse, a professional tool for editing and debugging code. You should be very comfortable with keyboarding and, of course, playing Minecraft! At the end of the class, take home your mods to share with family and friends.

Spend the best summer engineering fantastic battle bots to battle other teams! With tons of gears, LEGO® Technic pieces and moving parts for you to lay hands on, small teams will create a Battle bot, rescue bot, racing car and more! Battle your friends, improve your design and test again. Other robotic projects may be included. An awesome way to enjoy a fungineering Summer! LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site