From Campfire to Code: Maria’s Summer of Curiosity, Creativity, and a Robot Named Opportunity

There’s a Robot at My Summer Camp continues the joyful innovation of the There’s A Robot! series by Dr. Carlotta A. Berry.

This time, STEM doesn’t stay inside four classroom walls. It hikes trails. It splashes in lakes. It plays soccer. And right in the middle of it all? A robot named Opportunity.

Maria’s Summer of Discovery

Maria is nine years old and spending her summer at camp — a place traditionally filled with crafts, cabins, and campfires. But this summer includes something unexpected: a robot.

Each day, Maria explores more than just the outdoors. She explores:

• How wheels help robots move across different terrain

• How sensors allow robots to “see” and “feel” the world

• How code turns ideas into action

Between hiking, swimming, and soccer, Maria begins to understand that engineering is not separate from life — it enhances it.

Curiosity leads. Creativity follows. Innovation becomes inevitable.

By the end of camp, Maria doesn’t just want memories.

She wants a robot of her own.

Why Maria’s Journey Matters

Maria’s story reflects something powerful: STEM learning thrives in joyful spaces.

Summer camp represents freedom. Exploration. Low-pressure experimentation. That is exactly where engineering confidence can bloom.

Maria plays archery at summer camp while Opportunity the robot watches

This book quietly reinforces:

• Representation in STEM – A young girl of color confidently engaging robotics.

• Learning by Doing – Touching wheels, testing sensors, writing programs.

• STEM as Play – Technology integrated with hiking trails and soccer fields.

• Ownership of Innovation – Wanting to bring robotics home to family and friends.

When a child experiences STEM as creative and accessible, it shifts from “school subject” to “personal passion.”

Robotics in the Wild

Maria’s journey challenges a common misconception: robotics belongs in labs.

Not here.

In this story, robotics belongs:

• On grassy fields

• On dirt paths

• Near the water

• In the hands of a curious nine-year-old girl

Opportunity is more than a robot. It is exactly what its name suggests.

An opportunity to experiment. An opportunity to problem-solve.An opportunity to imagine bigger futures.

For Families and Educators

This book is ideal for:

• Summer STEM programs

• Camp enrichment activities

• Elementary robotics clubs

• Girls in STEM initiatives

• Informal STEM learning spaces

Extension ideas:

• Build a simple rover for outdoor terrain challenges

• Design a “camp helper robot” on paper

• Explore basic sensor experiments with light or sound

• Host a family STEM night inspired by Maria

Let the story spark hands-on action.

The NoireSTEMinist®️ Vision

Maria checks the inside of the summer camp robot, Opportunity.

Bringing robotics into everyday spaces changes who sees themselves as engineers.

Maria’s journey reminds us that innovation doesn’t require a lab coat. It requires curiosity. It requires creativity. It requires access.

When a young girl leaves camp asking for a robot instead of just a souvenir t-shirt, something transformative has happened.

And that transformation? That is how we change the face of STEM — one summer, one spark, one robot at a time.

There's a Robot at My Summer Camp now available in the NoireSTEMinist®️ shop and everywhere that books are sold.