A New Spin on Summer School

Sphero and SPRK+ take over Apple Camp

Apple stores. There’s a lot more there than the average consumer might realize. It’s not just the place to get the latest iPhone release. Tech lovers and students of all ages can go to learn about devices, attend free workshops, and get inspired, whether it be by learning about a new app or another tool. Apple also provides an abundance of youth programs, including Apple Camp, where kids can learn by doing and creating while also having fun during the summer.

This year, we fully geeked out at the opportunity for Sphero to be a part of Apple Camp. While Apple has hosted their summer camp for years, this was the first time it offered the “Coding Games and Programming Robots” course featuring yours truly. In hundreds of stores worldwide, thousands of kids ages 8–12 participated in a three-day camp exploring coding and robotics with our latest and greatest bot, SPRK+. With computer science being a hot topic initiative right now, this camp was designed to inspire and teach the next generation of tech talent.

The fully booked camp sessions were anything but quiet as kids collaborated and programmed robots through mazes, formed geometric shapes, and created robot dances — all with the SPRK Lightning Lab app. “Never before have I heard such a commotion in an Apple Store. And I’ve covered iPhone launches.” Katie Collins of CNET.

Camp participants went from uncontrollable excitement to intense concentration. They quickly grasped the early concepts of coding within minutes, thanks to Lightning Lab’s approachable block-based programming interface. Kids were literally jumping up and down with joy as they tested out their successful programs.

To wrap up Apple Camp, we traveled to Apple Union Station in San Francisco to lead a culminating event at the brand new global flagship store. Our SPRK team led a session introducing SPRK+ robots and programming with the Lightning Lab app. Participants were invited to program our robots through mazes and ramps utilizing Apple’s ever-so-stylish store furniture. 30+ kids and families participated, and the event led to mazes being scattered all over the floor, overlooking downtown Union Station.

Much like the other Apple Camps earlier in the week, learning with SPRK+ robots brought nonstop commotion, drawing retail store visitors to join in the fun with their families. From the look of excitement on both kids’ and parents’ faces, it proves that learning to code doesn’t have to be a chore. If you’d like to let your creativity run wild and learn to code in the process, check out Lightning Lab and learn more about SPRK+.