Robotics Mentor Program Takes Off

DAYTON – Thanks to a grant from the Washington State Library and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Dayton Memorial Library is now home to a middle school robotics program.

Each Thursday afternoon, about 15 junior high students work with high school mentors to design and program different types of robots. The students use the LEGO Mindstorm Robotics Kits, expansion kits, and five laptops that the library received through the grant.

Dayton was one of only four Washington schools to receive the LEGO robotics sets through the Washington State Libraries Exploring Technology grant. The grant was created to empower libraries as exploration centers for youth and to help youth increase their science, technology, engineering and math skills.

The library staff worked together to write the grant for the Robotics Mentor Program. Once the grant was awarded, the library staff collaborated with high school principal Paul Shaber and high school robotics teacher Kristina Knebel to develop the long-term program.

Five high school students volunteer weekly as mentors: Emily Truean, Isaac Garcia, Kris Karl, Hope Lopez, and Kendall Field. Emily, Hope and Chris are part of the high school robotics program, but Isaac and Kendall just wanted to help out.

"So far it's been really fun," Emily said. "They caught on to programming really quickly."

The mentors serve as advisors, answering questions when the junior high students get stuck. Hope said they will eventually begin holding competitions and will assign students to perform specific tasks such as building a robot animal or a robot that can perform an "Olympic" event.

The program will run through May, then start up again next fall, with a new set of students.

"This program is a great way to get younger students excited about robotics, while allowing the high school robotics team students to share their knowledge and passion with others in the community," said Knebel.