BALTIMORE — Thousands of young people in the Baltimore area are enhancing their skills and participating in summer employment opportunities through YouthWorks, a program that provides summer jobs and launches careers.
A group of robotics students received a special visit from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott at Baltimore’s Marbo High School on Tuesday.
Students are using their summer break to explore the ins and outs of robotics.
“It exposes you to the mechanical, electrical, computer systems and coding aspects,” Youthworks participant Matthew Mason said.
Mayor Scott gave them a surprise visit.
“Behind us, we have young people doing amazing things every day, whether it’s learning robotics, teaching as lifeguards or helping mentor youth within the city,” Scott said.
The Robotics Group is part of YouthWorks, which has been providing summer jobs and educational opportunities for 51 years.
Melbourne High School students are building, coding and operating their own bots in preparation for the state competition in February.
“The robot picks up the doughnut and sticks it on a stake,” Mason said. “It can also pick up the stake and drag it to the end of the field to score extra points.”
The skills learned in robotics go beyond the classroom.
“By solving problems and working together as a team, it helps develop skills outside of robotics and makes it fun,” Youthworks participant Nathaniel King said.
The program also provides an opportunity to build connections and launch your career.
“It’s not just about earning money to buy things like school clothes and supplies, but it’s also about what you learn by working with people and how you challenge yourself, grow and understand the environment you live in,” Scott said.
YouthWork’s summer session ends on August 19th.
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