Atlanta nonprofit's STEM summer camp inspires students to dream bigger through robotics

While school may be out for the summer, students at one Atlanta camp are still learning — this time through robotics, engineering, and problem-solving.

A new partnership between Atlanta nonprofit Children's First and STEM education organization The STEM Plug brought a high-tech robotics camp to metro Atlanta this summer, exposing foster children and at-risk youth to hands-on STEM experiences designed to build confidence and creativity.

"We don't want to just teach STEM to kids and for them to consume it," said Rich Gilliam, founder of The STEM Plug. "We want them to feel like they can be creators."

The STEM Plug operates robotics camps across the Southeast, introducing students to science, technology, engineering, and math through interactive projects.

This year, Gilliam partnered with Children First, an organization that serves foster children and at-risk youth throughout metro Atlanta. While Children First hosts summer camps every year, organizers said adding robotics programming gave students an opportunity many had never experienced before.

"This was something different," said Ify Agbasi, founder and executive director of Children First. "A lot of us African Americans are not introduced to this, and I wanted to expose our kids to this at a young age."

For Gilliam, the mission is personal.

"As a kid, I didn't have much confidence that I can do anything within STEM, right? So that's why I struggled," he said. "So that's why I created STEM Plug to really help kids now at that earlier age that they can feel like they can have that confidence, that they could be creators."

Gilliam hopes introducing children to technology early will help prepare them for future careers in growing industries.

"If there's companies out here that have 10-, 15-year goals out, we need to reach the kids that are younger, right?" he said.

Students said the lessons extended beyond building robots.

"Robotics is important to me because it can help me in my everyday life," participant Dante Hollis said.

Gilliam said he has watched students develop critical life skills throughout the program.

"A lot of times the kids might not notice it, but I definitely notice every day of them just really, really learn those skills that we want them to learn, which are critical thinking and problem solving," he said.

Several students said Gilliam's encouragement made a lasting impression during the two-week camp.

"He's patient with people," said 13-year-old Cach Arel. "He's patient with people, even though people want to quit, but he still convinces them to keep going."

Hollis said Gilliam helped him overcome one of his biggest challenges.

"He taught me how not to give up, and giving up was one of my hardest challenges because sometimes I messed up and I wanted to quit right then and there and stop, but he kept me pushing and helped me keep going and trying my best," Hollis said.

Gilliam said he hopes this summer's program will be the first of many collaborations in metro Atlanta, believing that a small amount of encouragement can inspire students to pursue lifelong opportunities in STEM.

The idea for the partnership originated at Invest Fest Atlanta, a convention that connects startups and organizations looking to collaborate on initiatives that benefit the city. Children's First offers year-round programs serving Atlanta-area families.