SDJA is excited about our new and growing middle school robotics program! The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking (CIET) is offering two middle school courses this year, one of which is the trimester long robotics course. The purpose of this elective class is to offer students an opportunity to imagine, design, build and reflect on how our world is changing with robots and technology. We debate the latest inventions, design robots, practice coding, build solar powered vehicles, create websites and more! Each student is pushing their thinking in this class to design solutions to engineering challenges that humanity is currently facing. Whether it’s a prototype to prevent climate change or designing artificial intelligence experiences, the world needs the creative ideas and solutions of our youth.
The middle school robotics class is taught by Alicia Johal, the assistant director of CIET who is passionate about engaging middle school students in science and engineering, and who brings her experience coordinating middle school robotics programs to SDJA this year. Our new trimester brought ten new engineers who are excited and ready to ideate, design and construct their ideas!
Looking ahead to the third trimester, students will be invited to join the class for an underwater robotics exploration. They will design and create remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from scratch, and will have an opportunity to compete with others. They will learn skills like drilling, water-proofing, circuitry, soldering, and more! It’s an exciting time to be a middle school engineer and we look forward to seeing more students involved in the program! No previous experience is necessary!
