Linda Hamilton, LEGO consultant for the Rahall Transportation Institute, works with Madolyn Legg
on Monday at the LEGO Technology camp held at the Marshall University Morrow Library.

HUNTINGTON -- When Winnie Boyer found out that Marshall University was hosting LEGO camps,
she knew what week she would have her grandson come to visit.

Boyer's grandson, Tim Boyer, 7, arrived this week from his home in Leesburg, Va.,
and along with other children ranging from third through eighth grades joined the LEGO Camp,
which began Monday at the Marshall Morrow Library.
The camp not only provides plenty of fun with the popular plastic, building-block toys,
but it also promotes interest in engineering and other hands-on occupations.

David Adkins, left, and Tim Boyer work together to on Monday
at the LEGO Technology camp held at the Marshall University Morrow Library.

"It's supposed to hold something really heavy,"
said 12-year-old David Adkins, who was working with Tim Boyer to build a bridge.

Boyer asked as they moved on with their project, "Do we need the chain for anything?"

Linda Hamilton, director of the class, said their challenge for the first day was to build a bridge
that could sustain a 2-pound bag of sugar. But their tasks will get more difficult as the week goes on.

"They will have to build higher structures that can hold a two-pound bag of sugar," Hamilton said.
"They'll be putting structures together so they can move on and do robotics."

The LEGO camps are structured so that children can progress as they get older
and even qualify to participate in an international contest.

The LEGO Camps include the DUPLO Camp for children 4 to 7 years old from 9:30 to 11 a.m.,
and the LEGO Technology Camp for children 7 to 13 years old from 1 to 2:30 p.m.,
during the week of July 10 through the 14.
LEGO Robotics Camp takes place 9:30 to 11 a.m. during the week of July 31 through Aug. 4.

The DUPLO campers are learning to set up a model city with playgrounds,
stores, parks, zoos, homes and businesses using DUPLO Blocks.
They will also create modes of transportation to access all parts of the city.

In the LEGO Technology Camp, campers will be building LEGO gears, pulleys, levers, wheels
and axles into machines to solve challenges. In the LEGO Robotics Camps, for older children through the 12th grade,
students will build and program environment-friendly robots to perform tasks
in the Green Geyser Wilderness Park after a storm hits and endangers the ecosystem and human visitors.

Madolyn Legg, 6, who was working on her bridge with her father, Jerry Legg, is well on her way to robotics camp.
Jerry Legg said the camp is a fun pass-time for his daughter, who has oodles of LEGOs at home.

"She has very complex sets at home," Jerry Legg said. "She gets them all the time for Christmas and gifts."