Building Confidence and Skills

Early Innovators! A weekly hands-on design and engineering program, where we introduce kids to learning how to be creative with technology. 

This program builds towards our older Innovators! program by using a similar structure with simpler tools. Across 12 project-focused weeks, participants will break a large creative challenge down into small, actionable project chunks, learning code, craft, electronics, art, and design along the way. This program fosters ingenuity, empathy, resilience, and confidence while preparing our students with the digital literacy skills to be safe and smart in our ever-evolving digital and connected world. 

Student Gallery and Showcase

We're hosting a gallery! At the end of each term, our space will transform into an open gallery where students can display their work for the community to see. The gallery provides a tangible goal to work towards, with the purpose of celebrating student achievement and encourage engagement with the community. Our goal is to create a regular, seasonal event that everyone can look forward to.

Early Innovators! - Grand Arcade Studio

Duration: 12 Weeks; 60min classes

Innovators will take on the role of real-world game developers and hardware designers. Using the MakeCode engine, we'll learn to write code, graphic design, and how to craft imaginative worlds. Students will also have a hand in designing the hardware that their games play on in the form of custom controllers or specialized gaming devices, expanding on the idea that a gaming experience can extend beyond what's happening on-screen. 

Some experience required, including confidence on the computer and a curious mind!

What Students Will Experience

• Game Development & Code: Design mechanics, create graphics, and write logic to build your unique video game
• Physical Prototyping & Hardware: Build a custom platform ranging from tabletop arcade cabinets to custom controllers 
• Project Management: Learn what it takes to design a video game from concept to design, development to playtesting!

Here's a look at our schedule:

• W01 - Game Design & Storytelling
• W02 - Character Design
• W03 - Game Dev #1
• W04 - Game Dev #2
• W05 - Game Dev #3
• W06 - Hardware Design
• W07 - Hardware Enclosure Fabrication
• W08 - Game Dev #4
• W09 - Game Dev #5
• W10 - Game Dev #6
• W11 - Catch-up and Improvements
• W12 - Final Touches and Playtesting
  

Community Showcase and Grand Arcade!

Our course concludes with a Grand Arcade to showcase everyone's hard work. The studio transforms into an interactive exhibit for family, friends, and the rest of the community to check out. Students from all classes are invited to set up their games, and of course, play! This will be a unique opportunity to proudly display the amazing things we've created, discover everyone's creative talent, and connect with our community over our love for video games!

We are currently only running a single session of Early Innovators to gauge interest. If you are interested, but unable to accommodate a weekend class please reach out and let us know at hello@littlerobotfriends.com.