(Mr. Asher Vaughn, center, celebrates the arrival of the robotics kits from the New River Robotics Association with some of his students.)
Pulaski County Public Schools received some great news last week, with the announcement of several sponsorships for the younger robotics teams within the school system.
PCPS Gifted Elementary Resource Teacher Asher Vaughn was notified that the donations were thanks to a very generous donation from the New River Robotics Association, a non-profit 501(c)(3) based in the New River Valley.
The group, created by Franky Marchand, Henry Base, and their families, began in the Fall of 2012 as a group of volunteers dedicated to spreading STEM through the use of robotics and engineering, especially to students in the New River Valley and surrounding area of Virginia.
The group supports teams in several different age groups.
FIRST Lego League Explore teams target students ages 5-9. At this level, students learn about topics such as energy, shipping, space or buildings. They progress through individual and teamwork challenges, including building with Lego, adding a motor, and adding a sensor. The culminating project is a Lego structure that models their idea for solving a problem related to the topic. These models normally have a motor and sensor incorporated into their design, and are controlled by program the students build on an electronic tablet.
This is the initial entry point for students into the program, and this is the age level that will be receiving financial and material support in Pulaski County.
Asher, who coordinates the program for PCPS, was presented with three full EV3 kits. One of those kits is the Core Set with brick/brain, motor, sensors, and plenty of Technic pieces. The others are Expansion Kits, which include a wider variety of pieces and additional Core Set Technic pieces. The cost of each of these kits individually is $750.
Additionally, the group has provided a grant to start and fund teams at Critzer, Pulaski, and Snowville elementary schools for competition. These sponsorships are $250 each. The group will also supply each school with a package of supplies needed to compete against other teams in the Fall, at $95 each, and they will be providing each school with a 6’ x 4’ competition table to practice with. They have an additional goal of finding grants to provide additional tables. The group has also offered to work with Vaughn and his students throughout the upcoming First Lego League Challenge Season (FLL-C). That season will run from August through late November.
The students in the gifted fifth grade program will be known as the Panthers (PES), Critters (CES), and Huskies (SES), and they will meet during school hours.
“NRRA is giving our students the opportunity to learn some very valuable skills,” Mr. Vaughn said. “By having our students learn about robotics, coding, collaboration, and problem solving at an earlier age, it will enhance our programs at the middle school and high school levels. It’s an incredible opportunity for our students to be involved in expanded learning opportunities at a younger age.”
For more information on the New River Robotics Association, visit their website at https://www.newriverrobotics.org/.