Name: Robot Week at the Perryville Branch Library

Submitted by: Tyler Crawford

Sessions: Finch Robots (10/19), MD Extension presents Ready, Set, SuGO! (10/21), MD Extension
presents Lego WeDo (10/24)
Summary: This is a week-long initiative in which we will have three programs geared towards different age
groups to introduce simple coding and robotics. Depending on their ages and time availabilities, participants
can attend just one program or all three.
The first program is for children ages 5-8 and is in accordance with a grant the library system received from
Orbital ATK to purchase Finch robots. Finch robots are simple robots that even young children can control
through a SCRATCH-type computer program. There are different steps in this program that determine how
much control the child has over the robot. For the purpose of this program, due to the age of the participants
and lack of familiarity they have with these robots, we will stick to the first two or three steps and simple
games.
The second program is in partnership with our local branch of the University of Maryland Extension and will
feature a type of robot called a SuGO bot. This robot is a battlebot style robot that is made using similar
technology to Lego WeDo robots. The robots have a sumo-style battle on a small stage that will be set up in
the middle of our meeting room. This program is designed for families with children 4-12, so it is a fairly large
age range. The participants will be split into teams and instructed on the various physical and technical aspects
of each of the already-built 12 SuGO bots. They will then draft the bot they want to for their team. Once all
of the bots are drafted, the battling portion will begin in a bracket-style format until one champion is named.
Once the participants have experience with the bots and what worked and didnt worked during the battling
stage, they will have a set amount of time to customize their robots and change any aspect they want. Then
another bracket-style battle will commence and we will determine what changes were the most successful.
The third program again is in partnership with our local UMD Extension and will involve Lego WeDo
robots. This program is designed for children ages 8-13. The participants will be split into pairs and will use
the Lego WeDo kits to entirely build their own robots. Then, once the robots are built, they will be able to
connect them to their computers and use their coding skills to make their robots perform various actions based
on the type of robot built. If they still have time at the end (as some participants can build them much more
quickly than others), they can make adjustments or customizations for their individual robots.
Partnerships: We have two key partnerships the implementation of this program: Orbital ATK (for grant
funding) and UMD Extension (an organization we use a lot in the library system.)
Justification: As per our goals to meet the needs and desires of our community, the library places a lot of
importance on including STEM in our programs. The idea of coding as a second language and teaching in a
interactive manner is one that will benefit and enrich the lives of our young patrons by giving them
experiences that they may otherwise never have. We also want to foster a very creative and hands-on
atmosphere that shows our participants that they can learn really important scientific and technological
elements while also having fun. By having the three different sessions designed for a variety of ages, we are
able to offer something for almost all of our child patrons (and even their caregivers) and show how this
learning and these skills can be built upon as they become more exposed to the technology/science involved.
Its not a stagnant program, but one that can grow as the participants grow.

Press Release
Cecil County Public Library - 301 Newark Avenue, Elkton, MD 21919 (410) 996-5600

Date:

10/19-10/24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Frazier Walker, Community Relations Specialist

410-996-1055 x129 fwalker@ccplnet.org

Tyler Crawford, Childrens Library Associate

410-996-6070 x3123 tcrawford@ccplnet.org

Robot Week at the Perryville Branch Library

Perryville, Maryland (October 10, 2015) The Perryville Branch of the Cecil County Public Library
will host a week-long robotics-themed program for children that will include hands-on experience with a
variety of simple robots designed to teach participants the basics of computer coding. Programs will be
held October 19, 21, and 24 and interested parties can register online or by phone (410-996-6070 x3123).
(Note: We would advertise on Facebook and Twitter shortly before the program and this is a program by
library held in October of this year.)