Moving forward: plan for the obstacles, like every engineer should!

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Update from Tom Bickford (1/11/2021), Director

As we all know, our lives have been challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic that has been sweeping across the globe. Schools and many businesses are being run virtually and we've started putting our thinking caps on as well.

Robot Track Meets:

• For the spring of 2021, we WILL be holding Robot Track Meets. BUT we'll be running them online, unless a miracle happens and we can organize some in person things for May. We WILL be adding and modifying several of the events in the track meet to make them work for local students, most of whom will likely by working from home. This means that there will be events that don't require a robot kit and others that won't require a 25 foot distance to run the fastest robot competition. 
• Our goal is to have the updated rules and registration out by the end of January. But they WILL be out. We'll still be awarding both the Gold Standard ribbons and trophies! So put it in your calendar (mentally) and we'll keep you posted.

2021 Summer Camps:

• For 2021 we WILL be holding summer camps.
  • We are planning on these being IN PERSON camps at our usual locations around Maine. We will also offer ONLINE connections to our live camps so campers who cannot attend either due to distance or COVID can still attend from afar.
  • IN PERSON camps will still need to be following the current COVID-19 precautions, this will likely include:
    • Frequent hand washing or hand sanitizing
    • Face masks worn by all staff and campers
    • Social distancing in the camp space
    • Check in to ensure no signs of illness at the start of day
    • Quarantines if required by the University of Maine System or the State of Maine
    • Contract tracing information obtained for each camper (we actually have this from your registration info)
    • Designated equipment for each camper (no sharing, unless members of the same household)
    • All equipment cleaned between camps OR left fallow for a week before used by the next set of campers.
• In 2020 we ran all of our programs ONLINE and they were very successful. We had 156 campers attend one of our different programs. 
• For any IN PERSON camps, we provide everything the camper needs, including a computer to use during the week
• For ONLINE camps, campers need access to the internet, a webcam or other camera to use with Zoom, and a computer (for most camps).
  • We can discuss as we get closer if it will be possible to loan out laptops if required, but we'll be stretched thin if a lot of students need them. We did this in 2020 and it worked out fine for most campers, and thanks to all the families who got them back to us.
• Even if we can hold our camps in-person, we may have camp staff that cannot attend in person due to being higher risk for the coronavirus, but we would have people at the location to help run the program with some of the staff being virtually there to help.

Summer Camp Cancellations:

• IF COVID restrictions are still in place that prohibit us from holding IN PERSON camps in JULY and AUGUST then we will have to move our programs back to being ONLINE. If that happens, families will have the options to:
  • Receive a refund for the camp
  • Attend the ONLINE version of the camp (same program, just online)
  • Hold their registration for a later week or the following summer
• If the camps are run as usual in their usual places, due to a declaration of "safe to proceed" from the State and/or Federal governments, then the normal cancellation policy will remain in effect.

We just wanted everyone to know that we are working hard to make sure that your children and youth have access to quality programs this summer, in whatever shape we have to do that.

​Tom Bickford,
Founder of Maine Robotics (2004)
​Director of STEM Outreach at the University of Southern Maine