On top of fine-tuning their robot for this weekend’s First Tech Challenge regional competition, the students on the Wilcox High School Robotics Team are also dedicating their time to spreading their love of robotics with the next generation of engineers, makers, and problem solvers.
While every local high school team is involved in outreach, the Wilcox team went the extra mile.
“We decided we wanted something a little better,” Jason Fischer said.
This year, Fischer and the rest of the team opted to create customized robotic kits, dubbed “Cometkitz.” Alongside the kits, they developed a learning plan and introduced them to local elementary schools.
“We worked with the Santa Clara School's Foundation and they helped bring in funding. I got to talk to a lot of teachers, and it's just really cool,” Fischer said. “You bring in all these people to make this one thing happen.”
With these kits, the team members work with younger students and introduce them to the joy of robotics.
Despite his relatively recent entry just a few years ago, Wilcox team member Ayanuddin Syed found himself hooked on robotics. Now he shares this enthusiasm with students younger than himself when he first started.
“It's such a happy place to be where everyone's trying to work towards a common goal,” Syed said.
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The common goal of the Wilcox Robotics Team is larger than just winning this weekend.
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“It puts a smile to my face every time I see a kid, just excited as I was when I joined robotics work with one of our ‘Cometkitz,’” Syed said.
