For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Bob Herbert

Director of Operations

(717) 509-6363 X102

[email protected]

THADDEUS STEVENS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY

PARTNER TO INSPIRE INTEREST IN ROBOTICS

LANCASTER, PA – For the third year in a row, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and the Lancaster Science Factory are collaborating to feature “Mini Camps” with Baxter, a state-of-the-art, human-like educational robot, at the Science Café various weeks starting June 12 through August 4.

Baxter comes to the Science Factory as part of Stevens’ STEM-in-GEAR program , which works to emphasize the importance of technical education and interest youth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Baxter, one of two robots currently owned by the college, will be demonstrating processes similar to those used professionally in industry. Four “mini camps” a day will allow up to 15 kids from grades K-8 to interact with the robot. . This initiative would not be possible without the support of The High Companies. Baxter the Robot is current on loan thanks to the generosity of Thaddeus Stevens College.

Rich Nolt, a Manheim Township High School technology education and engineering teacher and the exhibit’s instructor, said the demonstration “gives kids a chance to understand systems, the inputs and outputs of a system and how it can be controlled and manipulated to do something useful that they want it to do.”

Additionally, an Edison Robot activity space  will allow participants to have a hands-on robotics experience. Edison educational robots are an innovation from Microbric, an Australian company based in South Australia. Microbric’s vision is to share electronics, robotics and programming with as many people as possible. Their technology is designed to provide users with an opportunity to experiment and have fun, while challenging their knowledge, innovativeness and imagination, without the need for expensive tools..

Baxter and the Edison Robot “mini camps” will be at the Lancaster Science Factory through August 4^th and is free with paid admission or membership. Admission is $9.00 for individuals and special rates are available for groups of 10 or more with advanced reservations.

About the Lancaster Science Factory

The Lancaster Science Factory is a non-profit science and technology center located at 454 New Holland Avenue, Lancaster, PA. The mission of the Lancaster Science Factory is to create an environment of learning which helps children develop curiosity, think creatively and build self-confidence as they learn the principles of science and the application of science in engineering and technology. For general information and admission prices, please call 717.509.6363 or visit www.lancastersciencefactory.org

About Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is consistently ranked as Pennsylvania’s top technical college and awards associate degrees in high-demand, skilled occupations. At 96 percent, the placement rate for Thaddeus Stevens graduates is among the highest in the United States. A full listing of programs is available at www.StevensCollege.edu.

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