The camp offers an immersive experience where students transform basic components into functional autonomous rovers or microfluidic devices, guided by experienced faculty and graduate student mentors.
High school students participating in the UCI Summer STEM Camps with Franklin Academy gain practical engineering and computer science skills through hands-on projects. Students choose between two main projects: building an autonomous rover or designing a lab-on-a-chip device. For the autonomous rover project, students learn CAD design, circuitry, sensors, and programming using Onshape and Arduino IDE to create a robot that can follow a line and retrieve objects. The lab-on-a-chip project involves designing, fabricating (using PDMS microfluidic chips), and testing a portable microfluidic device for detecting fluorescein solution, a method used in dry eye disease detection. Across both projects, students engage in the engineering design process (design, build, test, repeat), advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing and laser cutting, and project management skills such as budgeting and timeline creation. The program also includes professional development workshops on topics like resume building, machine learning/AI, UC application processes, and engineering career paths, alongside campus and lab tours.
A typical day involves splitting into course groups for hands-on project work, with breaks for outdoor activities or board games, and concluding with project work.
This camp is ideal for high school students eager to explore robotics, build intelligent systems, and gain hands-on STEM experience in a university setting.
University of California, Irvine
Orange County STEM Summer Camps is a free directory service that aggregates publicly available information about STEM programs, summer camps, and educational opportunities. We do not operate, sponsor, endorse, accredit, certify, or have any affiliation with the camps and programs listed here unless explicitly stated.
All program details — including pricing, session dates, instructor credentials, curriculum, safety policies, refund terms, transportation, meal arrangements, and admission requirements — are sourced from publicly available information and may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Listings are partially generated and updated using automated AI-assisted research, which can occasionally produce inaccurate details. Parents and guardians are solely responsible for independently verifying every detail directly with the camp before enrolling, paying, or relying on any information shown here.
We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the accuracy, completeness, suitability, safety, quality, availability, or fitness for any particular purpose of any camp, program, or information shown on this site. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages of any kind — including but not limited to financial loss, missed sessions, refund disputes, injury, child safety incidents, transportation issues, dissatisfaction with educational outcomes, or any other harm — arising from your use of this directory or your decision to enroll a child in any listed program. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of these terms.
If you are a camp operator and notice any inaccurate information about your program, please contact us and we will review and update it. By submitting an inquiry via this site, you consent to the camp contacting you with information about their program.
