Una To Host Black Rocket Stem Camps This Summer

May. 27, 2015

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

By Bryan Rachal, University Communications

FLORENCE, Ala. - Is it possible that another Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates could be right here in the Shoals? If so, the best place to look for them would be the upcoming Black Rocket Science, Technology, Engineering and Math summer camps taking place on the University of North Alabama campus, June 15 - 19, and July 13 -17.

Students ages 8-10 and 11-14 are invited to attend the camps that will teach them how to code and build digital games and apps, which are key skills that will help them in the future. Each class will be taught by the UNA Tech Lions, which consists of UNA CSIS Faculty, along with UNA CSIS student assistants. Instructors include: Dr. Shane Banks, Dr. John Crabtree, Dr. Jill Simpson and Dr. Jason Watson. The cost per camp is $170 with limited space and scholarships available.

The idea for the camps came from the UNA Tech Lions, which is collaboration between the UNA College of Business and the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center that spawned from the recent Strategic Doing movement launched by the college. Giles McDaniel, executive director with the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center, said the intent of the camps is to create a digital based job corp. in the region. "These camps aimed at middle schoolers are part of a broad based plan. We want to introduce the campers to skills needed to work in this economy and introduce them to the university at the same time," McDaniel said.

Camp classes will include App Attack, Make Your First 3D Video Game, Code Breakers and Minecraft Modders. Each session will help participants learn new skills such as mobile app design, HTML, JavaScript and CSS, to name a few.

For more information: www.blackrocket.com or Sheila Sisson at 256-765-5987 or sdsisson@una.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and Nursing. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA also operates a renowned collegiate athletic program in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin.