Science Technology Engineering and Math education doesn't take a summer break in Lehighton Area High School District.

Twenty-five students entering second through fifth grade have been building and programming robots this week at Shull-David Elementary this week as part of Penn State Hazleton's STEM camp.It is the first of two camps that will be held this summer in Lehighton."We are building robots from Legos like we had as kids, but these have motors on them," camp instructor Mark Reed said. "We are teaching the kids how to tell the robots what to do and direct them certain ways. They're really getting an idea of what robots can and can't do."The camp is titled "Lego Mindstorms," and deals with different strategies in designing and programming robots.Calli Peiffer, who will be entering fourth grade, and Timara Klotz, a fifth-grade student in the fall, said their robots were designed to touch a wall and then turn around or go backward into a box.Soon-to-be fifth-grader Ryden Chapman marveled at the hands-on opportunity offered to him over the summer."I've never used Legos like this before," he said. 'The camp is really neat and a great opportunity to make friends as well."Lehighton, in conjunction with Penn State, is offering the STEM camp for the second consecutive year with a majority of the funding coming from the Lehighton Education and Athletic Foundation."It is a total cost of $165 per student, but they only pay $25 because the rest is picked up through the National Education Foundation and LEAF," LEAF treasurer Tim Tkach said.The district is in the midst of a STEM immersion initiative at the elementary level.Tkach said the district piloted a STEM program in third grade at Franklin Elementary and is looking to expand it to all fourth-grade classes at Franklin and at least one third-grade classroom at the other three elementary buildings for the 2017-18 school year.At the secondary level, Lehighton Area High School is set to add a STEM SmartLab for the 2017-18 school year.The camps are limited to 25 students each and Tkach said there is a waiting list.In July, PSU is offering a "Kitchen Chemistry" camp.Students will use everyday household items to explore chemical reactions, states of matter, and more through hands-on, inquiry-based activities.One of the top camp take-aways, Reed said, is students are learning failure isn't a bad thing."They're learning a lot of perseverance because it can take a lot of tries to get the programs right," he said. "Sometimes the robots aren't built sturdy enough, but they're having fun and it's neat to see their imagination working while they're problem-solving on the go."The camp runs through Friday.