FIRST Robotics is a wonderful program (check out our award-winning video to learn why). Unfortunately, FIRST can be intimidating for students who lack prior experience, especially since the challenge presented each year is difficult and demands a great deal of programming and mechanical knowledge. To increase accessibility, we ran a Virtual FIRST Lesson Series over the past month. Our mission was to introduce K-12 students to FIRST Robotics, regardless of experience and factors such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Most importantly, we inspired tens of students globally to pursue STEM and Robotics.
A few of the wonderful students!
Our lesson series was well-attended, with over 50 students worldwide. Six instructors from all three sub-groups of our team worked tirelessly over one month to develop curriculum and teach CAD skills as well as programming with Java and C++. The attendees were diverse, with ages ranging from 8 to 16 years old. Our lesson series was well-attended, with over 50 students worldwide. Six instructors from all three sub-groups of our team worked tirelessly over one month to develop curriculum and teach CAD skills as well as programming with Java and C++. The attendees were diverse, with ages ranging from 8 to 16 years old.
One student stated, “We had a lot of fun and Tanish [Java instructor] was an amazing teacher! He communicated excellently with the students.” Another “liked how you can make games and have fun with Java.” 94% of attendees agreed that the workshop series exceeded their expectations and 100% of them would recommend our classes to a friend.
“We had a lot of fun and Tanish [Java instructor] was an amazing teacher! He communicated excellently with the students.”
“Not only was teaching incredibly rewarding, but we received a chance to disseminate our skills to a worldwide audience,” remarked Riya, a Java instructor. “It was truly an honor, applying the knowledge we gained through Exeter programs and classes to help others experience Robotics as we have.”