Read the answers to the user submitted questions below. If you can't find your answer here or anywhere else on our site, please call us at (818) 292-8008. Your question will be answered and your contributions may help future site visitors. We appreciate your participation in making the Great Minds Robotics website more informative and easier-to-use.
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I heard robotics is for boys. Will my daughter be the only girl in class? |
Your daughter will likely have other female classmates. The classes are mostly boys but we encourage anyone with an interest in computers, robots, and cool technology to enroll. |
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Do you host birthday parties? |
Although our campus would make for an awesome party place, we're not set up to host parties.. |
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Do you have a summer camp? |
Yes. We offer summer camps, winter camps, and spring camps. While any child K-12 can join one of our camps, current Great Minds Learning Center students enjoy a richer experience in our robotics camps due to deeper understanding of certain key concepts. If you are interested in joining one of our camps, we strongly recommend joining our year-round program. Enroll them in our Robotics, Enhanced Robotics or Advanced Robotics programs. |
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Do you offer any classes for adults? |
While we do not have classes exclusively designed for adults, it is possible for a parent to take classes as a student in class with their kids, or enroll into our Advanced Robotics program. |
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What is the minimum term that I must sign up for? |
We ask that you pay for one month of classes at a time. Take a VIP Tour for FREE. Decide at your convenience if Great Minds Robotics is right for your child. Trial classes are available the first week of each month. The associated cost can be applied toward that month of classes. Review tuition. |
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Do you pay for referrals? |
Yes we do. You or your child need not be enrolled to qualify. We thank you for your referral with a $35 American Express gift card for each new sign up. |
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How much does it cost? |
Review tuition. |
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Do we need to buy the robots? |
All you need to provide is a child ready to have a blast while exploring a world of technically advanced awesomeness. Everything else is included in the tuition. There are no equipment fees. |
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Do we get to keep the robots? |
We are sad to say that your children can not take the robots out of the learning center (they tend to get a little homesick). |
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Do you offer a sibling discount? |
Yes. 10% off each additional tuition. |
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Is there a registration fee? |
Registration is free. |
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Is there a cost for a make-up class? |
Make-up classes are included in your tuition; however, we require a notice at least two hours prior to class start time. |
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What kind of competitions do your students participate in? |
Students can participate in competitions within our learning center, as well as larger competitions, such as Jr. First LEGO League, First LEGO League and First Tech Challenge. |
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Does my kid have to be enrolled to be on a team? |
Yes. Only students of Great Minds Robotics can be on our team. |
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Is my kid guaranteed to be on a team? |
Team size is limited depending on the rules of each competition. We do not guarantee placement on a team. |
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Does my kid have to be on a team? |
Competition participation is optional. We definitely encourage students to give it a shot. |
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Is there a cost to be on a team? |
All expenses directly related to a competition, such as team registration, team uniform, robots, test mats, and team training sessions are sponsored by Great Minds Learning Center. Participation on a team is free for enrolled students. We do not guarantee your child placement on a team. If your child participates on a team, we do ask for a time commitment in order to prepare for and participate in competitions. Some competitions may not be at our location. We do not provide transportation, lodging, and food. We do not cover the associated costs. |
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Is there a time commitment to be on a team? |
Yes. For instance, FIRST LEGO League competition challenges are usually released in September. We set up weekly training sessions once the challenge is released, at no cost to you. Attending the training sessions is mandatory; students who are excessively absent will be dropped from the team. |
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How does my kid join a team? |
We open up enrollment for various competitions throughout the year. We will announce exact requirements for each enrollment - usually an application, an interview, and a series of small tests. |
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Can my kid change his mind and/or be removed from the team once selected? |
Yes. While we encourage everyone to participate in competitions, we understand competitions are not for everyone. Please keep in mind, however, that quitting the team during competition season affects the entire team. We may remove team members for various reasons, such as improper behavior, missing practice sessions, and failure to participate as an active member of the team. |
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If we miss a practice session, is there a make-up session we can take? |
Practice sessions are designed to include the entire team. In our experience, it is highly ineffective to have individual practice sessions. For this reason, make-up practice sessions are not available. |
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My kid was on a team last year. Is she guaranteed a spot? |
We strongly believe in meritocracy over seniority, and therefore do not guarantee spots to prior team members. However, skills and experiences learned through participation in prior events may position your kid to be one of the top candidates for future competitions. |
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What if we miss a class? |
Please give us notice at least two hours prior to class start time. We will work with you on an individual basis to schedule a make-up class. |
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How long are the classes? |
Each class is 90 min long. |
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When are the classes? |
Check the schedule. |
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Can my child come to your center outside of scheduled classes? |
Yes, we provide several opportunities for our students to spend more time at our center. First, once a month we offer LEGO Technic building workshops at no cost to enrolled students. Second, we provide free training sessions for Jr. FLL, FLL and FTC team members during competition season. Finally, Advanced Robotics students may volunteer to help out in classes, labs and workshops for younger students. |
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How can robotics and programming be applied in real life? |
If your child's future profession includes programming, robotics, and engineering, enrollment in Great Minds Robotics can provide a solid foundation in object-oriented programming, mechanical engineering, teamwork, and well-developed critical thinking skills. |
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My kid wants to be a doctor. How will they benefit from your program? |
We teach your children to think like the best doctors in the world even though we're not a medical school. We teach them to think critically. Our instruction fosters a clear head, the ability to save time, the confidence to make decisions, and the skills needed to see beyond personal bias. This mixture of ability and confidence can benefit your child throughout life. As a bonus, the robotics training they receive here will translate directly to using incredible technologic marvels like the Da Vinci robot by Intuitive Surgical. |
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How will a future enterpreneur or a corporate business manager benefit from your program? |
In a world as complex as ours, it's not really possible for anyone know all the answers. We teach your children how to quickly find the best answer when it counts. We teach them to think critically. Critical thinkers often outperform their peers when put to the test. When your child goes to work for themselves or someone else, they will be able to open doors to opportunity in the real world. |
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Does my child need prior experience? |
All they need are interest and the desire to excel when it comes to robots, computers, and technology. |
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What if my child has prior experience? |
Our instruction is tailored to each child's individual knowledge level and abilities. Your child's prior experience might help them to progress at a faster pace. They may also test to start at a higher level. Learn about levels at the bottom of the Robotics and Advanced Robotics sections in Curriculum. |
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My child enjoys building LEGO, but has no experience with LEGO Technic or LEGO Mindstorms. How can they improve their building skills? |
We recommend attending our monthly Lego Technic workshops designed to improve building skills. We have various models to choose from, advancing our students from beginner to advanced LEGO builders. Workshops are offered at no extra charge for enrolled students. |
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My child is not into LEGO, but is very interested in learning how to program. Do you have a program that's right for them? |
We offer RobotC classes in our Enhanced Robotics program, and work with RobotC and C# programming languages in our Advanced Robotics program. We can provide a pre-configured robot for your child to reduce or entirely eliminate the need to build, and concentrate on the programming aspects of robotics. We also use virtual emulators to test out our programs without the need for a physical robot. |
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At what age can my child join your program? |
Grades K-2 (ages 5-7). |
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Explain the difference between Robotics and Enhanced Robotics. |
Discover the difference by reading through the Robotics and Enhanced Robotics sections under Curriculum. Both classes begin at Level 1. At first glance, they appear the same. We make them different by instructing with age-appropriate lessons and equipment. For instance, we do not expect a five year old to be able to type on a keyboard. Enhanced Robotics students have the option of enrolling in Enhanced Robotics Lab. |
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At what age can my child join your program? |
Grades 3-8 (ages 8-13) |
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Explain the difference between Enhanced and Advanced Robotics. |
Compare the classes by reading through the Enhanced Robotics and Advanced Robotics sections under Curriculum. Students in grades 3 through 8 progress through levels. Students in grade 9 through 12 are given project-based assignments. |
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Do I need to be enrolled in class to take a lab? |
Yes. Enhanced Robotics Lab is a supplemental hands-on experience that we offer in addition to the material learned in Enhanced Robotics class. They are available at an additional cost. |
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At what age can my child join your program? |
Grades 9-12 (ages 14-17) |
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My kid has no prior experience. Can they enroll in Advanced Robotics? |
All they need are interest and the desire to excel when it comes to robots, computers, and technology. |
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What programming languages do you use? |
RobotC, NXC, LabView, NXT-G, Microsoft Visual Programming Language (VPL), and C#. |
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My son wants to program games and apps in general. Is Advanced Robotics right for him? |
The programming taught in Advanced Robotics includes industry-standard languages modified for robotic applications. The concepts learned are directly transferable to writing code for video games and more. We are developing a new facet to Great Minds Learning Center focused solely on programming classes for grades 9 through 12. Be on the lookout for writecoolprograms.com |
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What if a student comes up with a really cool project/idea? |
We salute the creativity and let students implement their creations into live LEGO® models with our help and instruction. We write directions and package difficult programming into blocks so our Enhanced Robotics students can build these models in Enhanced Robotics Labs. |
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