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UNF's STEP Lab hosts hands-on STEM camp for elementary students

Camper playing with IPAD in STEP LabOzzie's Playful Coding Camp returned to the 成人大片 this summer for another sold-out session, offering young students an engaging, hands-on introduction to coding, creativity, and collaboration. Hosted by the STEP Lab within the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services, the camp invites elementary students into the world of coding, robotics, and problem-solving through hands-on projects and storytelling-based learning. Over three weeks, campers engaged in purposeful play designed to build computational thinking and social-emotional resilience, essential skills for tomorrow's innovators.

Camp director Xavier Rozas has seen firsthand how this playful approach to STEM can shift young learners' mindsets.

"The STEP Lab began as a community engagement space, but coming out of COVID, I saw a strong need for in-person collaboration," Rozas said. "What we do here takes time, rubbing elbows, building trust, and supporting each other. But once that culture sets in, kids regulate each other, offer real feedback, and start saying things like, 'Let me show you how to do this better.' That's not typical in a traditional school setting and it's powerful."

By blending structure with autonomy, the camp gives students ownership of their learning while providing opportunities to explore STEM in joyful, low-pressure environment.

Xavier in a Silverfield t-shirt in the STEP Lab"There's no pressure to get everything right. It's not about grades, it's about the process," Rozas said. "When kids take pride in their work and parents ask how they can keep the learning going at home, that's when I know we've done something meaningful."

Among the camp's instructional staff was Kari, an experienced math educator currently teaching 4th grade at RCSA Innovation Campus. Kari said the camp offered a valuable view into student's emotional and academic development.

"At first, some kids panic if they don't know what to do right away. There are even a few tears," she said. "But by the end, they're encouraging each other. They go from seeing each other as competition to cheering one another on."

Students accustomed to avoiding mistakes were encouraged to embrace challenge and experimentation. Kari emphasized that learning to fail and try again is central to the camp's approach.

"These are kids who aren't used to being challenged. Here, they're getting out of their comfort zones, and learning that it's okay to try, fail, and try again," she said.

Teacher, Kari, smiles in the STEP Lab. For Kari, one of the most rewarding elements was integrating storytelling and movement into tech-based instruction.

"We do a 'bug dance' that introduces coding concepts through storytelling and movement, it helps the kids connect with abstract ideas in a tangible, age-appropriate way," she said. "They act out sequences, loops, and commands with their bodies, which builds a strong foundation before they even touch a screen.

Hands-on learning also extended to themed projects that linked physical experimentation with digital design.

"In one activity, they build Angry Birds-style catapults in the morning, launching projectiles and learning about force, angles, and iteration. Then, in the afternoon, they switch gears and code their own Angry Birds games on the iPads. Because they already understand the mechanics from building, they bring that knowledge into their digital creations. It's very intentional, but still playful and creative."

Ivan, a junior studying electrical engineering at UNF, served as a teaching assistant for the camp after working in the STEP Lab during the academic year. What began as a summer job quickly became a transformative experience.

"At first, I didn't see the connection to my field beyond both being STEM-related," he said. "But working with these kids helped me get better at explaining complex concepts. STEM shouldn't feel out of reach, and these kids are proof that it isn't."

Beyond the technical experience, Ivan said the interpersonal side of the work was equally valuable.Ivan and a camper on iPads flying drones

"As STEM students, we don't always get to practice people skills. But here, you're not just learning, you're teaching. That's going to be huge when I'm managing projects and people in the future."

One highlight for Ivan was leading a high-energy trebuchet egg launch, where students counted down and cheered for one another.

"The kids are awesome," he said. "And having college students involved makes it more real. Hopefully they see us and think, "I want to do something like that one day."

As the camp grows, so does its impact on young learners, parents, educators, and the broader Northeast Florida community. With expanding partnerships across UNF's Colleges (Silverfield College of Education and Human Services, the College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction, and the College of Arts and Sciences), the future of Ozzie's Playful Coding Camp looks bright.

"This isn't just a two-way partnership," Rozas said. "It's an intersection where creativity, community, and curiosity come together in unexpected ways."