Great Bay Community College brings robotics to local schools
Great Bay Community College brings robotics to Seacoast area Secondary Schools
PORTSMOUTH — The installation of ten new 3D printers has transformed the data center at Great Bay Community College (GBCC) into a robotics laboratory as part of a partnership with FIRST New Hampshire that will bring programming and robotics education to area students.
GBCC joins Manchester, Lakes Region, and White Mountains as New Hampshire community colleges currently participating in the program. The new 3D printers will make seven-inch plastic chassis on wheels that are part of the Experiential Robotics Platform (XRP), a low-cost, open-robotics platform developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Built around a Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller, the XRP was designed to provide an affordable means of introducing students to robotics, engineering, and software development.
Funded by a $455,000 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Education, FIRST NH has been outfitting labs across the state. The goal is to produce 5,500 robotics kits by July 2025 to support engineering education for New Hampshire students in community colleges and career and technical education centers and to create learning opportunities for students in grades 6-12.
Cheryl Lesser, president of GBCC, said that the college is expanding its involvement beyond the manufacturing of the robotic kits to include professional development for teachers and classes for secondary school students. “GBCC has a long-standing commitment to robotics and microelectronics education, and we are developing new programs, such as automated manufacturing, that will prepare employees to work with the cutting-edge robotic technologies used by area companies. We are excited to participate in the partnership with FIRST NH to share our expertise with secondary schools and CTEs to get area middle and high school students interested in engineering, robotics and software development,” she said.
Michael Harrison, chair of GBCC’s information systems technology program, is leading the college’s involvement in the partnership with FIRST NH. He said the goal is for GBCC to create at least 1,000 robotics kits using the 3D printers. Once the printing design is built and tested, it will take approximately three hours to make the plastic chassis for each kit. GBCC then coordinates delivery to area schools.
Monarch School of New England recipient of the Nourish Award
ROCHESTER — The Monarch School of New England is a recent recipient of the Nourish Award from the Northeast Credit Union Foundation. The Nourish Award is bestowed upon an organization that reflects Northeast’s mission to enrich and nourish the lives of others. For 50 years, The Monarch School of New England continues to bring individuals with intellectual, physical, medical, and behavioral disabilities into the mainstream of everyday life and supports individuals with special needs so they can realize their greatest potential.
The Nourish Award and a $5,000 Grant was presented at the nonprofits annual fundraising golf tournament at the Rochester Country Club. If you are interested in supporting the Monarch School, check out their online auction, live till June 12. All proceeds go to them directly.
