These rolling robots are navigating mazes at SUNY Cobleskill. High school students from across the state are on campus taking part in a program known as "GEAR UP."
"GEAR UP is an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programming. It's part of a $303 million initiative from the U.S. Department of Education," said Director Paul Turner.
It's all made possible through a five-year grant which will keep the program going the year 2011, making this a free learning experience for the students.
High school students from across the state are on campus taking part in a program known as "GEAR UP."
"This grant is meant to serve academically at risk students in poor schools, we work with entire cohorts of kids, we started with them in sixth and seventh grade, we'll follow them on through eleventh and twelfth grade," said Turner.
Building these lego robots have many advantages. Students use math and science in an interesting way, they learn about teamwork, and they stay high tech.
"All you have to do is put the coordinates in here and it comes through this device into the robot," said student Mary Eileen Scott.
"It's just a really good learning experience because I've never done anything like this before. It's pretty cool to meet new people and get to know the computers a little more," said student Jared Tyler Boyles.
While students can learn many things at the robotics camp such as computer skills and the latest in technology, they also get to visit a college campus, which brings them from their own comfort zone into a more team-oriented environment.
"We thought it would be wonderful for our kids who don't often get out of their community to come up here, interact, meet other students who are doing robotics, but then also have this whole mixing it up with the urban, the rural, " said Assistant Director Frank Pomata.
"The students are living in the dorms, they're eating their meals here, we're having department head coming in to talk to students about careers and why college is so important to them. They're getting a real feel for things.
And to "gear up" for the future.