Library introduces kids to robotics
After winning the NJ State Championship last month, Clearview Regional School District Varsity/Mentor robotics team 9848 “GearView” traveled to Houston, Texas on April 18 to compete as one of the best 224 FIRST Tech Challenge teams out of 8,000 teams worldwide. The team won the 1st place Connect Award which is the 3rd highest Award in the entire competition. Congratulations to all of the students that participated and to Robotics Teacher and Program Head Ruth Barreiro.
Introducing kids to the world of robotics is the goal of the Mullica Hill library’s Robotics for Kids program, at the facility’s training room on Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m.
The program is for kids in grades four through eight, as well as those age 8 through 13. The session is a partnership between the library and Clearview Regional High School’s robotics team, 9848 Gearview.
“Robotics for Kids is a program that was presented to me by the Clearview Regional High School robotics team, GearView,” said teen librarian Crysta Miller. “The goal of the program is to introduce fourth to eighth graders to the basics of robotics, like building, 3D modeling, coding … and how it is all useful in the real world.”
Gearview has had many successes as a team, including winning the top connect award at the FIRST Tech Challenge on April 17 in Houston. The group has also received recognition for its accomplishments from the township.
“We are composed of dedicated and inquisitive students who strive to explore their
passions and leave no questions unanswered,” notes the team’s portfolio page. “Our team consists of students with a variety of backgrounds and skills, united by our interest in robotics and eagerness to explore new technologies.
“We come together to create, tinker and solve problems and challenges posed by the competitive robotics community,” the page addes. “We strive to apply our knowledge and explore new ideas while having fun and building meaningful relationships.”
The basics will eventually help participants build their very own robot. The library program first began on Feb. 10 and has been one of the more well attended events there, according to Miller. Anyone can attend the May 18 session, regardless of whether they have been with the program from the beginning.
“At this point in the program series,” explained Miller, “the participants were formed into teams and have all built a robot. Some have begun to code their robots to do basic movements.”
New participants will work on robots that have already been completed during the program.
The robotics session is free and does not require a library card. Since space is limited, registration is recommended at the GCLS website.
