The students at South San Francisco High School are special because of their diversity. This diversity is both ethnic and economic. We have students from Brazil, Korea, Jordan and about 20 other countries. Some students could be described as economically advantaged while others might be considered part of an under-served population.
They come from neighborhoods that reflect their socio-economic condition.
Our community includes wealthy neighborhoods. There is also low-income housing in several parts of our community, including directly adjacent to our school.
Our school is special because it provides an opportunity for a diverse group of students to come together and gain an appreciation for each other. Much this coming together occurs in the many different clubs on campus (Ex: Anime Club, Earth Club, Robotics Club, etc.). The various extra-curricular activities at our school provide students with an exceptional opportunity to develop empathy and understanding for people who are different from themselves.
This year our robotics club participated in our first competition at a FIRST TECH robotics event. Among our many learnings from the event was that even though we won a couple of rounds, we need extra parts, a practice field and other equipment to be truly competitive.
The FTC Competition kit and soft tiles, we hope to acquire, will create a substantial learning tool for our robotics club.
Students will develop expertise in the construction of a robot as they invent a competitive machine and participate in several competitions during the upcoming season, going up against schools from around the Bay Area that are much better funded and have many more years of experience than we do. Students will also develop expertise in the coding required to make the robot operational. Furthermore, students will learn how to operate a robot in a Perimeter Field so they can prepare for an actual robotics competition.
The Robotics Club improves students’ lives in several ways. It brings diverse students together to work collaboratively on a common goal. It provides students with a hands-on learning experience that involves a possible future career path. Finally, based on last year’s robotics club experience, building a robot is just plain fun.
Our goal is to begin the season with the resources we need to increase our competitiveness at next year’s robotics competition.