Robotics program offers students fun way to learn

Program develops engineering, science, technology, math and problem-solving skills

Walla Walla’s FIRST Robotics Team is providing opportunities for high school students to embrace technology and science through a fun hands-on learning activity. Students build, program and operate these high tech machines in competition. Popular television shows, the allure of technology and the desire to work their hands is adding to the popularity of this new program which helps students develop mathematics, engineering, communications and problem-solving skills.

Instructor James Polson and his team have their sights on making to this year’s worlds competition. Polson currently has 10 to 15 students participating in this after-school program. They meet Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 at SEA-TECH. All Walla Walla Public High School students are eligible to participate. The build season starts in January with competitions beginning in March.

The robots compete in a game that takes on the atmosphere of a major sporting event. Each team build a new robot every year to compete in a new game. District leaders are looking into the possibility of creating a Robotics class in the future. Polson says it would be a positive move for the Career and Technical Education program since the skills learned translate to career fields.

“The programmers are using the same software companies like Nelson Irrigation are using,” Polson said. “While the team fabricators are using industry standard equipment to engineer and fabricate parts for the robot.”

Polson says students interested in participating do not need any experience or computer experience. He says there is a job for everyone on the team. Contact James Polson to learn more about joining the team: jpolson@wwps.org /(509) 526-2000.