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Bioinformatics and Technology Laboratory - Bat Lab, 130 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL (2026)

08/19/2026

CRISP 2026 — From Building to Programming to Demonstrating!...

One of the most important parts of CRISP 2026 — the CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program is that our campers do much more than simply put a robot together...

They learn the entire process...

In these videos, some of our campers are demonstrating robots they worked on during the week and explaining what they accomplished... They began by identifying and organizing the robot components, followed the building instructions, assembled the robot as a team, connected the motors and sensors, and then moved on to programming and testing their creation...

And, as every engineer quickly discovers, the robot does not always work exactly as expected the first time!..

That is where some of the most valuable learning happens. The campers had to test, troubleshoot, make adjustments, try again, and learn from their mistakes until they could get their robots to perform the intended tasks...

Throughout CRISP, the students learned to:

• Build and understand robotic systems
• Work with motors, sensors, and other components
• Program their robots using block-based coding and explore programming concepts
• Test and troubleshoot their designs
• Work collaboratively and help one another solve problems
• Explain and demonstrate what they built
• Develop confidence through persistence and hands-on learning

The goal of STEM4NE1 is not simply to tell young people about computer science, engineering, robotics, and technology... We want them to experience it for themselves — build it, program it, break it, fix it, improve it, and proudly demonstrate what they accomplished...

That is how curiosity begins to become knowledge, and knowledge begins to become innovation...

Very proud of what our CRISP 2026 campers accomplished!..

Cultivating Today, the Innovators of Tomorrow...

More photos and videos from the camp activities, robot demonstrations, competitions, and Awards Ceremony will continue to be posted...

We are grateful for the support of Oak Park Township, River Forest Township, and Concordia University Chicago, whose partnership helps make this experience possible...

With Camp Counselors Ava Wirata (Head), Daniel Pattie, Ryan Hanson-Taruc, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez and Justin Ocampo...

08/16/2026

CRISP 2026 Highlights — Part 2!..

Here is the second collection of photos from CRISP 2026 that was featured in the slideshow during our Awards Ceremony at Concordia University Chicago...

These pictures capture even more of what made this year’s CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program (CRISP 2026) so special — campers building and programming robots, testing their ideas, troubleshooting when things did not work as expected, collaborating with teammates, learning from our camp counselors, and simply enjoying the experience of creating something together...

Throughout the week, our campers were challenged not only to learn robotics and coding, but also to develop persistence, teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and confidence. Those qualities were just as important as the robots they built and the competitions they participated in...

It was wonderful to watch our campers grow throughout the week and see their excitement as their robots began to move, respond, race, compete, and accomplish the tasks they had worked so hard on...

These photos are still only part of the CRISP 2026 story... More pictures and videos from the camp activities, robot demonstrations, drag racing and sumo competitions, and our Awards Ceremony will be posted in the coming days...

We are grateful for the support of Oak Park Township, River Forest Township, and Concordia University Chicago, whose partnership helps make this experience possible...

With Camp Counselors Ava Wirata (Head), Daniel Pattie, Ryan Hanson-Taruc, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez and Justin Ocampo...

08/09/2026

CRISP 2026 — Celebrating a Great Week of Robotics, Coding, Competition, and Learning!..

What a wonderful week with our 2026 CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program (CRISP 2026) campers through the STEM4NE1 Program Initiative at Concordia University Chicago...

The photos were part of the slideshow shown during our Awards Ceremony, celebrating the campers, counselors, teamwork, creativity, persistence, and everything accomplished throughout the week...

Our campers spent the week building and programming robots, working through challenges, learning from one another, and participating in competitions including drag racing and sumo robotics. Just as important, they learned how to keep trying when something did not work the first time — an essential part of engineering, computer science, and innovation...

I am very proud of all of our campers and grateful to our camp counselors, families, volunteers, supporters, and everyone who helped make CRISP 2026 possible...

This is only a small collection of photos from the week. More pictures and videos from the camp activities, competitions, and Awards Ceremony will be posted soon...

Cultivating Today, the Innovators of Tomorrow.

We are grateful for the support of Oak Park Township, River Forest Township, and Concordia University Chicago, whose partnership helps make this experience possible...

With Camp Counselors Ava Wirata (Head), Daniel Pattie, Ryan Hanson-Taruc, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez and Justin Ocampo...

08/05/2026

🤖 CRISP 2026 — Day 1 Highlights! 🤖

What an exciting first day at the STEM4NE1 CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program (CRISP 2026)!...

Our campers jumped right into the world of robotics by exploring the LEGO Robot Inventor kits, identifying and organizing components, following technical instructions, and beginning their first robot builds... It was wonderful to see their curiosity, concentration, creativity, and determination throughout the day...

Students worked together, shared ideas, helped one another solve problems, and learned that engineering often involves trying, adjusting, and trying again... Our camp counselors were also actively guiding and encouraging the campers while allowing them to think independently and take ownership of their projects...

This is only Day 1, and our young innovators are already doing amazing work... We are excited to see their robots, programming skills, teamwork, and confidence grow throughout the week!..

Cultivating today, the innovators of tomorrow!..

We are grateful for the support of Oak Park Township, River Forest Township, and Concordia University Chicago, whose partnership helps make this experience possible...

With Camp Counselors Ava Wirata (Head), Daniel Pattie, Ryan Hanson-Taruc, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez and Justin Ocampo...

08/04/2026

STEM4NE1 Robotics Camp 2026 is underway!...

It was a joy spending time with this wonderful group of CRISP 2026 campers... We're excited for a great week of robotics, coding, creativity, teamwork, and fun through the STEM4NE1 CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program at Concordia University Chicago...

We are looking forward to seeing what these young innovators will build, program, and learn together!...

With Camp Counselors Wirata Korkitcharoenkul (Head), Daniel Pattie, Ryan Hanson-Taruc, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez and Justin Ocampo...

Thank you for our sponsors Oak Park Township, River Forest Township and Concordia University Chicago

07/21/2026

2026 STEM4NE1 CRISP Application Update

Thank you to all the families who applied for the 2026 12th STEM4NE1 CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program (CRISP).

Applications are now closed. We have received an overwhelming number of applications this year, and we are truly grateful for the tremendous interest and support from our community.

Because of the large number of applications, it will take us some time to carefully review everything and finalize the participant list. We kindly ask for your patience as we go through the applications and follow up with families.

We are also deeply grateful to Oak Park Township, River Forest Township, and Concordia University Chicago for their generous sponsorship and continued support.

We are also excited to welcome our 2026 CRISP Camp Counselors:

Camp Counselors: Ava Wirata — Head Counselor, Prajan Shrestha, Saranya Chotsiri, Rene Mendez, Justin Ocampo, Daniel Pattie, and Ryan Hanson-Taruc.

Thank you for supporting STEM4NE1 and helping us inspire the next generation through robotics, programming, artificial intelligence, engineering design, problem-solving, teamwork, innovation, and chess.

Thank you again for believing in STEM4NE1 and for supporting our mission.

Victor Govinda

06/10/2026

Excited to announce the 2026 12th STEM4NE1 CUC Robotics and Innovation Summer Program (CRISP) at Concordia University Chicago!

This FREE hands-on STEM camp will give students entering Grades 3–12 the opportunity to explore robotics, programming, artificial intelligence, engineering design, problem solving, teamwork, innovation, and chess in a fun and supportive learning environment.

Camp Dates: August 3–7, 2026
Monday–Thursday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Location: Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, IL
Application Deadline: July 15, 2026

Parents/guardians can email me for the application form or submit completed applications to:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Subject line: Application - RC, Last Name

Thank you to our sponsors (Oak Park Township, River Forest Township) and supporters for helping us continue this important STEM outreach program for young learners.

05/15/2026

BatKnights forged in discipline, crowned in achievement, destined for greatness...

The BatKnight 7, Class of 2026, Classy all the time... Proud moment for our 7 BatKnights who graduated this spring 2026 at Concordia University Chicago...

These students did far more than complete coursework... As part of their Capstone journey, they designed, implemented, tested, and presented software applications in a variety of fields, demonstrating not only technical skill, but also creativity, professionalism, teamwork, and perseverance...

Their work was developed using an Agile-Scrum methodology, giving them experience in iterative development, planning, collaboration, refinement, testing, and presentation — the same kind of structured workflow used in industry... They also presented their projects at symposiums, where they shared their ideas, defended their designs, and represented our program with excellence...

One of the proud traditions of this journey is their Capstone book, our BatLegends Volume, which captures their projects, growth, and legacy as a graduating BatKnights class... It stands as a testament to their hard work and to the spirit of innovation they brought to our Computer Science program...

To recruiters and industry professionals: these graduates have worked on real project design, software implementation, teamwork, presentations, documentation, and Agile-based development... They are not only graduating with knowledge — they are graduating with experience, resilience, and the ability to contribute...

I am very proud of each of these BatKnights and excited to see the impact they will make in the world...

Congratulations, BatKnights... The journey continues...

Once a BatKnight, always a BatKnight... The Bat Never Sleeps...

With Adrian Corral, Anthony Espino, Matias Zegarra, Juan Moresco, Alexander Lechowicz, Muhammad Ayan Hafeez, Tomas Mireles, and Brandon Montford

02/23/2026

💙❤️STEM4NE1 | SAROJA Initiative — Robotics for Seniors, Reimagined❤️💙

Last week, we successfully completed Lab 01: Senior-Adapted Car Robot Lab with seniors at the Oak Park Township Senior Center — and it was a tremendous success.

What made this special?
This lab was created by us, specifically adapted for seniors. Most robotics labs available today are designed for youngsters and unintentionally exclude older adults due to:
• very small parts,
• visual complexity,
• fine-motor demands, and
• fast instructional pacing.
As part of the STEM4NE1 SAROJA Initiative (Senior-Adapted Robotics & Joint Activities), we redesigned the experience from the ground up to prioritize:
• accessibility
• confidence-building
• collaborative learning
• joy and curiosity

The result?
Seniors were engaged, smiling, asking questions, helping each other, and — yes — excitedly racing their robots against one another. Several participants asked when we’re coming back and told us they can’t wait for the next lab.

Why these matter?
A unique and growing component of this STEM4NE1 initiative is SAROJA, which addresses a critical community gap: the lack of accessible robotics programming for older adults.

During pilot sessions at the Oak Park Senior Center, we identified that traditional youth-focused robotics kits were not accessible for seniors due to fine motor demands, visual complexity, and pacing challenges. In response, we began designing senior-adapted robotics labs that prioritize accessibility, confidence-building, and collaborative learning.

This work is part of a larger vision where:
• CUC Computer Science students mentor and teach,
• seniors gain hands-on experience with modern technology, and
• future generations see learning as truly lifelong.

Grateful to our mentors, students, and community partners — and especially to the seniors who reminded us that curiosity has no age limit.
• Oak Park Township Senior Center
• Lab 01: Senior-Adapted Car Robot Lab
• More sessions coming soon!

Thank you for the STEM4NE1 mentors Adrian Corral, Arya Desai, Ava Wirata, praveen Mahadeva, Brandon Montford, Rene Mendez, and Devin Mathew.

With Victor Govinda, Concordia University Chicago, Oak Park Township and River Forest Township

Bioinformatics and Technology Laboratory - Bat Lab

08/19/2026

08/16/2026

08/09/2026

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

07/21/2026

06/10/2026

05/15/2026

02/23/2026

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