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From programming drones to watching laser cutters bring keychain designs to life, the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design is putting on a summer camp for kids aged nine to 14 – part of an effort to boost connections between the school and the city that surrounds it. 

“There’s a lot of cool technology stuff that school systems just aren’t getting to because they don’t have access; we’re privileged as a post-secondary, partially publicly funded institution, so we want to share that access,” the faculty’s manager of external relations, Nene Brode, .

Attendees will be split into the “Bits & Bytes” group (ages nine to 11) and the “DigiFab” group (ages 12 to 14), with both camps enjoying activities that revolve around the theme of drones and their role in modern urban design, in what Brode described as “a fun, casual kind of setting.” The program will also touch on other topics such as hacking, the mysteries of the dark web and the importance of protecting one’s personal information on social media, with time set aside for interaction with U of T architecture students and professors as well as athletic activity outdoors.

Ultimately, the hope is that the camp helps nurture a more diverse architectural community by welcoming kids from communities that are traditionally under-represented in the field, Brode said.