Middle school kids from 40 schools across the state are programming robots, launching rockets and touring the Micron fabrication plant in Boise this week.

The Micron Foundation is hosting 160 kids for the 16th annual Micron Chip Camp, allowing kids to learn what engineers and scientists do every day. This is a free two-week camp with 80 students participating each week.

Students will get three full days of hands-on learning:

• Building and launching rockets while learning Newton’s laws.
• Lego building to simulate Micron products.
• Designing and building a capacitor with foil, plastic wrap and adhesive.

“I plan to go into engineering to make people’s lives easier,” said Sophia Spelliscy, an eighth-grader at Heritage Middle School. “This camp is getting me pumped up for what I can do in the future.”

The camps filled up within hours and participants were selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

“This camp is helping spark my excitement for being an engineer,” said Brandon Hall, a Heritage Middle School eighth-grader. “I love airplanes and want to design planes someday.”

Micron engineers and professionals lead the activities, teaching kids about the intricate business of designing and manufacturing semiconductors and integrated circuits. The foundation hopes the camp will help influence students to incorporate challenging math and science courses into their high school schedules.

“The Micron Foundation wants to give students access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Kami Faylor of the foundation. “We want to expand the pipeline for the Idaho economy for places like Micron and other high-tech industries that are growing in our community.”

On the third day of camp, all the kids are bused to Micron for a tour and to participate in chemistry experiments and computer programming. Click here to learn more about the camp.