WHEELING — Ohio County students wanting to build robots or just increase their science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) skills get many opportunities this summer.

Coding and robotics instruction will be a focus of many of the offerings of many of the summer programs being offered by Ohio County Schools, according to JoJo Shay, innovation coordinator for the school district.

Shay said participants will be encouraged to use creative thinking skills to solve problems posed to them.

“Everybody has been through a challenging time this year,” she said. “What we want students to learn is coding not just for reading and writing, but to explore the creative side of you.”

All programs are free to students.

A robotics and maker challenge camp is set to take place beginning June 28 through July 2 at Ritchie Elementary School for those in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and at Bridge Street Middle School for those in grades 6-8.

Classes are from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday.

The week will include instruction in coding basics, robot programming and technological challenges, Shay said. After this camp is completed, students also may enroll for an audio-visual camp that begins July 12, and continues through July 16 at the same schools. At this camp, participants will learn to make videos and audio recordings to share with family and friends.

STEAM activities also will be the focus of other learning sessions scheduled by Ohio County Schools this summer.

Summer school programs for elementary and middle school students are scheduled for June 22 through July 16. Participants in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade will attend classes at Ritchie Elementary School, while those in grades through 6-8 will be at Bridge Street Middle School.

Sessions for both elementary and middle school students are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Reading and math education will be the focus in the morning, while STEAM and enrichment activities will be scheduled for after lunch.

STEAM education during summer classes is not typical, Shay explained. Summer programs usually focus on reading, math and core skills. But school district officials decided students needed opportunities for more STEAM learning this year, she said.

There will be CTE summer camps at Wheeling Park High School for elementary and middle school students. Instruction for those in grades 5-6 is slated for June 7-11, and those in grades 7-8 will attend June 14-18. Classes start at 7:45 a.m., and continue through 1:30 p.m.

Participants will get the opportunity to complete hands-on projects in each of the 15 WPHS career center companies.

High school students also won’t be forgotten this summer.

A high school robotics camp for those in grades 8-12 is set for June 22-25 at Bridge Street Middle School. Classes are set for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Participants will get to spending time with members of the WPHS robotics team coding, building robots and executing tasks.

There are two sessions of WPHS summer school. The first takes place June 8-25, and is for those seeking credit recovery or physical education credits. The second is set for July 12-28, and is for those seeking credit recovery only. Classes will take place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day.

Transportation, breakfast and lunch will be provided at all the camps. Aftercare will be available at Bridge Street Middle School and Ritchie Elementary until 5 p.m. following classes at those locations.

Students and their families interested in applying to attend any of the camps should register online at sites.google.com/wphs.ohio.k12.wv.us/2021ocssummersessions/home.