At the 7th Annual MassRobotics Robot Block Party on September 28, visitors witnessed innovative robot demonstrations and hands-on interactions, learned from experts in the field through presentations and a college and career fair, and played robotics games. With the highest student participation yet, over a dozen FIRST high school robotics teams demonstrated their robots at the event, including the Newton-based, internationally competing Lazer Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge team and the student-run LigerBots FIRST Robotics Competition team of Newton North High School and Newton South High School.
Jerry Gong, captain of Lazer Robotics and sophomore at Newton South High School, wrote: “The MassRobotics robot block party was one of the most inspiring and popular outreach events we’ve ever attended… Specifically, the focus on tech-related companies made the experience quite eye-opening for the team. To see what we’ve learned as a high school robotics team over the past years being applied in real-world industries is truly inspiring. All the skills that we’ve learned through building, designing, and testing our robots are the same set of skills that professional industries use to operate on a day-to-day basis.
“I also felt that this event was an excellent representation of the strong FIRST robotics community in Massachusetts. Representing FTC, FRC, and even VEX robotics, this event represented high school robotics programs on a scale larger than any… FIRST robotics has inspired… the career paths of many [but doesn’t get much representation], and events like this truly put into perspective how much impact the world of high school robotics has on today’s generation. To know that the many hours of work that goes into our shared passion of creating robots is eventually what will change the world is truly inspiring.”
Eason, a sophomore at Newton North High School and member of LigerBots, was similarly impressed by the Robot Block Party: “This event is truly inspiring. This is the most interactive and interesting event I’ve ever attended. Throughout the event, I talked to many companies and colleges. The opportunities presented are endless. Dozens of high-tech companies and colleges offer internship and educational programs for high schoolers. In addition, I loved the presence of numerous robotics teams. This [event is] hosted [not only] by tech companies but also by high schoolers. It gives a more welcoming vibe for kids of younger ages.”
The Robot Block Party offered a unique glimpse into the vast field of robotics and an impactful opportunity for students interested in STEM. The event will return next year with even more to experience.