The district is #MineolaProud to shine a light on our Mineola High School Robotics Club, who are dedicating their time to help spread their love of STEM learning throughout the school community.

Recently, club members approached the school administrators with the idea to bring STEM projects to the RISE classes, hoping to share their excitement and give the students a unique and enriching experience. Upon getting approval from the administrators and RISE teachers, the learners got to work coming up with a series of STEM activities that they could introduce to the RISE learners that would challenge and inspire them.

They started by pulling out small groups of RISE learners and introducing them to Circuit Maze, a game that challenges players to connect pieces on a 5x5 board to allow the electric current to flow and cause bulbs to light. The RISE learners were delighted by the challenge and celebrated each successful connection. This enthusiasm was also felt by the club members as they recognized immediately the impact they were having on these students.

Robotics Club member Makayla Apter-Quinn, a senior, was moved by the collaboration. “I like seeing them get excited about learning and achieving success on their own,” said Makayla. “It was inspiring for me to discover how they communicate in their own unique ways. Even if it's not the same way we communicate, we still can share in these amazing moments and feel good that we’re opening their world, just as they are enriching ours.”

Following the small group sessions, the club opened the opportunity to the entire RISE class, creating a series of activities stations that they would rotate through. The team brought back Circuit Maze, an activity the students were familiar with, and introduced Maze Code, a game that uses block coding to move an arrow through a maze, as well as two collaborative Lego challenges, to build the tallest tower possible and to use creativity to build a house. Finally, the students were encouraged to draw whatever they’d like on a poster board, a display that now hangs in the robotics room for all to see.

“Working together with the RISE class helped us not only develop personal connections with them as a group, but also gave us the opportunity to discover their individual learning styles,” said Julia Manevitz, also a senior. “We could then adjust our activities to give them each the best, must fulfilling experience. They were so enthusiastic! It's exciting to see how much they care and how our simple actions of going in and sharing our time can make such a difference in their day.”

This initiative is just the beginning of the MHS Robotics Club’s mission to lend their time and talent and provide STEM learning opportunities for students who would benefit from their collaborative efforts. The club looks forward to expanding their efforts and will soon be offering this experience to elementary school students within the district. Future plans also include developing opportunities for RISE students from different schools to compete in STEM competitions, expanding the impact of this program and sharing their passion on a larger scale.