A FIRST in Robotics.

FINALLY!  I found an actual robotics school!  And when I say school, I mean with a true blue school building, a school-year program, robot terrain challenge exams, daily training, ending in a full-blown badge to represent the country in international robotics competitions.
The FIRST Robotice Learning Center is the best.  summer discovery.  evaah!

Needless to say, Miro is generously pumped to get started.  This wasn't a simple summer break.  This was for real.

Nice, guarded entrance.

Long hallway decked with students' achievements.

Huge waiting room and playroom.

The kids' own lockers.

Super spacious classrooms which house a couple of large-scale robot terrain challenges each.

Wide work benches with a great abundance of building tools.

Individual laptops and workbooks that record every child's progress.

The FIRST Robotics Learning Center uses the usual flair of NXT Lego Mindstorms --kids learn to design, build, and program their robots in the name of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  Its specialized curriculum spans 3 levels.

5+

7+

And 9+

As always, every session ends with a robot creation.  So it's instant gratification all the way!  Just look at these mechana-marvels Miro cooked up on his first 2 days.

The Motochopper.

And The Robowalkies.

FIRST Robotics also has summer programs for your little geekazoids just in case you want to test the water first.  These are 4 sessions which, I assure you, you will end up extending.

When it comes to robotics, make FIRST your first and last.  I think we're going in that general direction. :)