Andrews University Launches BEAR Summer Lab
A STEM immersion program for middle school students
Campus News
| Posted on August 20, 2025
Students received certificates for completing the BEAR Summer Lab.
Andrews University recently conducted the Berrien Engineering, AI & Robotics (BEAR) Summer Lab, a STEM immersion program designed to ignite curiosity and build foundational skills in engineering, coding and robotics for middle school students. This year, two weeklong programs took place, from June 23–27 and July 7–11.
Hosted in Chan Shun Hall on the Andrews campus by the School of Business Administration, the lab was offered in partnership with the Andrews University Centers for Organizational Resilience & Excellence (AUCORE), ThinkerBox and Versacare. Deriving from their shared mission, the lab aimed to provide impactful, values-driven educational experiences that prepared young learners for future success.
“The BEAR Lab is more than just a robotics camp,” says Armand Poblete, executive director of AUCORE and ThinkerBox. “It’s a launchpad for students to explore STEM concepts through real-world applications, while gaining confidence, creativity and collaborative skills.”
Each day included guided engineering builds, coding workshops and robotics challenges. Class sizes were limited to 14 students per week to ensure meaningful collaboration and connection with peers as well as individualized attention from expert, university-level mentors. Students had the opportunity to use the award-winning VEX IQ platform to explore the fundamentals of mechanical design, computer programming and team-based problem solving in a fun and hands-on learning environment.
After a week of working on real-world engineering problems, developing skills and fostering friendships, students presented their final creations in a celebratory showcase. Following completion of the program, each participant—even those with no prior robotics experience—was equipped with the ability to take on FIRST Robotics events and other STEM challenges and competitions.
To learn more about studying at Andrews University, please visit Enrollment.
If you’re interested in joining the Andrews University team, please see the list of available positions.
We invite you to support the Andrews University mission by making a donation.
Please read more about great things happening at Andrews University here.
Contact:
PR
pr@andrews.edu
PR
pr@andrews.edu
