Centre County 4-H Robotics Club shares passion for science at open house

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) – The Centre County 4-H Robotics Club hosted an open house to attract new members and show off some of the skills that their students have learned through their programs.

The kids were given the chance to display and operate the robots they built in 2024 so far. The robots ranged from one that shot hoops to another that could lift itself off the ground. Even though adults are there to mentor, the kids are the ones driving the projects.

“It’s a student-led initiative and we’re there really to help ask questions and help them find the thoughts and processes that they’re trying to put out themselves,” Brian Hill, a 4-H Robotics Club mentor, said.

The program accepts kids in grade school through high school and has something for everyone. Mentor Vivian Survey said that getting to see the students mature and grow through the program is “really neat.”

The skills learned by building the robots can also be applied outside of the program.

“Those are marketable skills,” Gabe Geiger, a student in the program, said. “I could get a job doing a lot of these things.”

However, not all students involved are there to build robots. Others want to get more experience on the business side of things.

“My job is going to be marketing communication, just reaching out to a bunch of different organizations, seeing if they want to help with the program,” Veer Patel, a sophomore at State College Area High School, said.

Hill said that the club is always looking for new mentors to help out with the program. The process to join is on their website.