A former NASA bio-technologist and an engineer are joining forces to teach Bermudian youngsters the ins and outs of robotics and other exciting technologies.Teresa Harper and Baljit Saini are encouraging young people aged seven to 18 to take part in their Robotics Camp next month.Ms Harper, the camp coordinator, said children would spend the week mastering the fundamentals of robotics, including working on mechanical skill building, learning how to wire a circuit board and putting together their own robot.She said they started the camp because there were students that “have been falling through the cracks” because they are not athletes and may not be inclined to music, but may like manipulating new technologies.“This programme shows them different opportunities and inspires them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math,” Ms Harper said.Last month the programme already achieved one of its first high profile successes. A team of young people aged ten to 18 involved in the ‘Bermudarobotics’ afterschool project entered an overseas design contest held by iGEN LED.Out of nearly 50 teams from the United States, the local students placed fourth and won the prize for Best Team Effort Award 2011.Ms Harper said: “I am extremely proud of them. These students juggled their normal day to day activities and school work and afterschool activities.“They had to juggle around music, karate and sports and they stayed after school and put in so much time throughout the school week and weekend. They were very dedicated and hardworking.”The students met twice a month over the past school year. They wrote a collaborative essay to be considered for contest entry and were given a kit of electrical parts, as well as $100, to construct a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display.Ms Harper said: “The talented students worked feverishly on this project for three months. The display showed two fireworks, Bermuda shorts, and three words brightly illuminated.“This project was a real-life engineering simulation that required that students work together as a team to produce one major project.“Parents were very pleased to see their children engaged and excited about their work, and many of the students now have a greater understanding of just how much work is involved in creating products that many of us take for granted.”Young people taking part in the upcoming camp will get to develop similar skills, said Ms Harper. In addition to building a robot they can take home, children will also build a six-foot rollercoaster and construct a game track.The first camp session will be held July 4 to 8, and the second session will be held July 11 to 15 at a weekly cost of $350. There will be beginning, intermediate, and advance sections depending on their skill level.For more information call Ms Harper on 599-7373 or e-mail Bermudarobotics[AT]gmail.com.