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Robotics Club members share their coding skills 
Twice a week, the members of Steward’s Robotics Club meet in the Bryan Innovation Lab to design, construct, and code robots. Under the guidance of Upper School Science Teacher Joe Hardcastle and Upper School Technology Facilitator Erin Springfield, these forward-thinking Upper Schoolers also do outreach that seeks to introduce robotics to others and promote an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). Connecting with the wider community is an important part of the Steward experience for all Spartans. 

Recently, the Robotics Club hosted a Brownie troop on campus, introducing the girls to basic robotic coding and teaching them about the club's robots. Bryan Innovation Lab Program Specialist Megan Young and Lower School Technology Facilitator Kathy Karmolinski helped plan the event, and Ms. Karmolinski provided small KIBO robots for the girls to use. KIBO, a robotic kit, works by using a scanner that allows users to scan barcodes on programming blocks and send a program to their robot instantaneously. 

The Brownies learned that robots can solve problems (i.e., complete tasks that are repetitive or dangerous for humans; provide personalized learning experiences; and assist people with disabilities).

“We compared the mechanical and robotic parts of the KIBO to that of the robot designed by our Upper School students and found that, although the robots look very different, their parts are very similar: wheels, motor, battery, and sensors,” explained Ms. Springfield. “The girls teamed up to write their own programs to use with the KIBO robots, and each girl was given an opportunity to control the robot previously created by the Robotics Club members. To celebrate the work of our youngest engineers, we gathered for a team snack: microwave popcorn … with some Girl Scout cookies, of course!” 

Ms. Springfield noted that coding skills are becoming increasingly valuable in many industries and are likely to continue to be in high demand in the future. Helping girls learn to code can help them build confidence and develop a sense of accomplishment. “It can also help to promote inclusivity and gender equality in technology-related fields and help prepare girls for a future that is increasingly reliant on technology,” she noted. 

Robotics Club member Dylan Griffin ’26, who worked with the Brownie troop, said, “I enjoyed laying the groundwork for what might be a job in an industry that desperately needs workers.” Innovative problem solving  — which Steward encourages both inside and outside the classroom — is something Dylan especially enjoys. “I like the challenge of creating something from scratch in order to complete an objective,” he said, “and I look forward to our next outreach project.” 
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