Shady Side Academy Middle School’s Blue robotics team, under the guidance of University of Pittsburgh professor Jun Yang, embarked on a mission to ignite a passion for robotics in the young minds of Fox Chapel Area. The team members, including Vivian Zhang, played the role of mentors, sharing their knowledge and skills with the aspiring builders and coders.
Over three engaging classes, the young participants delved into the intricacies of robotics, starting with construction in January and progressing to programming in February. The culminating event on April 20th showcased the culmination of their efforts as they presented their impressive robotic creations.
Vivian Zhang, a sixth grader at SSA, expressed her enthusiasm for the program. “It’s really exciting having all of them learning a lot,” she said. “It’s been fun watching them learn from this. I think they are really bright, and I enjoy teaching them.”
Coach Yang commended Vivian and her team members for their outstanding performance at the Western Region of the PA state FIRST® Lego League Robotics Championship, where they emerged victorious in robot design and robotics performance.
Parents Cliff Yang and Ning Li expressed their hopes that their son, Alan Yang, would benefit from the program’s exposure to robotics and engineering. “My son participated in a competition a year ago,” said Mr. Yang. “I think this is a very good chance for (him) to evolve into science and engineering and have some experience. It’s very good.”
Alan’s passion for robotics was evident as he swiftly completed his robot and moved on to designing attachments while others continued to work on programming their creations. “It’s interesting to code, especially when you’re doing a mission,” said Alan. “After you master Lego (kits) you can actually use real robotics, which I’m planning on doing. These are small robots.”
Vivian highlighted the importance of simplicity and efficiency in robotic design, emphasizing that a strong bot should have a minimal number of extra pieces. “It has to do just what you want to do,” she said. “It can have stuff that makes it look pretty, but you want to make it very effective.”
Coach Yang provided the participants with a variety of Lego components, including wheels, planks, motors, and Bluetooth devices. She emphasized that the program aligned with the core values of the Lego competition. “It is the team’s effort to teach little kids and introduce this activity so that it can involve more kids,” said Yang. “We initiated it and can teach them from building to coding. This program is for fifth through eighth grade, but a fourth grader can join if they are advanced enough. All these kids (here) are from fifth grade. I think the kids love it and parents are interested.”
Due to its resounding success, Coach Yang plans to continue the free program at the Fox Chapel library next year. The initiative has also been implemented at the Sharpsburg Community Library in previous years, further expanding its reach and impact in fostering a love of robotics among young learners.
