High school students eager to learn about robotics

Thanks to the eagerness of students to learn about robotics, and the dedication of a teacher at St. Paul Regional High School to help students experience that opportunity, the school's Science Club now has $10,000 worth of robotics equipment in its possession.

"From the beginning of the year, our Science Club students were interested in exploring robotics. However, our budget is solely based on winning grants for projects and activities," says Alex Bernier, the teacher in charge of the school's Science Club. "As such, students were told to explore options to receive funding for robotics."

He used the students' eagerness as an opportunity to let them look for the funds that could help purchase needed equipment.

"The next week, they told me they found this Best Buy Grant and it would fund up to $10,000 towards tech or robotics for a school," says Bernier. When students later found out that the application Bernier sent was success, they were no doubt excited.

Out of over 275 applicants, St. Paul Regional High School was one of 12 schools across Canada to receive a "Best Buy Canada Tech Grant" grant of $10,000.

“Year after year we are overwhelmed with the quality of applications we receive,” said Karen Arsenault, Best Buy Canada’s Community Investment Manager, in a media release announcing this year's recipients of the grant. “As school curriculums advance, so does the need for upgraded or increased technology in the classroom. Each of our recipient schools clearly illustrated creative teaching methods and ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms to inspire the next generation of innovators.”

Bernier offered a few excerpts from the grant application, explaining how the school and the Science Club specifically, will benefit from the equipment.

"Building and programming robots to complete various tasks would be not only competitive and engaging, but a ton of fun for our students. Students will explore the vast applications of robotics, developing a unique skill set for potentially lucrative career paths. Above all, practical open-ended engineering challenges that enforce problem solving and teamwork facilitates the development of strong friendships that will last the test of time – in high school this all-to-often proves to be difficult," wrote Bernier in the application.

On Feb. 21, as students took out the the LEGO Mindstorm EV3 kits that had been purchased, and began building their robots, Bernier guided them through the process, while also allowing them the opportunity to problem solve as they began programming their robots to complete simple tasks.

Another point addressed in the application was that the school's administration is willing to entertain the potential of starting up an elective robotics course at the high school, and this equipment could be used for that purpose in the future.

"We will now have the resources to provide an elective course solely aimed at STEM – ROBOTICS. Students unable to attend Science Club due to sports and extra-curricular activities, catching the bus home to the farm, or work schedules, will now be able to explore robotics," wrote Bernier. "Robotics gives our student body the fun and exciting elective course they have been craving. Students will use this technology to make analogies, identify relationships, predict outcomes, analyze data, and draw conclusions. It allows us to develop knowledge and skills in our students that are unparalleled and currently lacking in the workforce."

With the grant funds, the Science Club was able to purchase eight LEGO Mindstorm EV3 Kits with expansion packs, and a VEX Robotics Competition Super Kit.

"The LEGO Mindstorms Robots will be used to hook students into robotics, the design process, and programming. Through monthly challenges, students will generate ideas, design and build various robots, and adapt them to given tasks. This develops essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication among those participating," said Bernier.

The VEX kit is for students showing a mastery of skills with the LEGO Robots and wishing to further their skills in robotics. The main goal of this kit is to enter into the annual VEX robotics competition at NAIT, explained Bernier.

"Each year, these competitions issue a novel challenge involving the manipulation of objects for points where concepts such as power, torque and mechanics are at the forefront."

And while students clearly have lots to learn still, the eagerness to gain knowledge was obvious as excitement grew over the robot's making dinosaur sounds and conducting simple movements.