High schoolers use robots to open doors to learning for elemetary students

By John Howell
Posted 3/23/17

By JOHN HOWELL What started as a senior project for Kevin Sanita last year has continued to flourish thanks to members of his family, the Pilgrim robotics team and a teacher who is putting kids before a contract. It all has to do with a mounting interest

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High schoolers use robots to open doors to learning for elemetary students

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What started as a senior project for Kevin Sanita last year has continued to flourish thanks to members of his family, the Pilgrim robotics team and a teacher who is putting kids before a contract. It all has to do with a mounting interest in technology, building things and robots.

As a Warwick Veterans High School senior (he was valedictorian of the last class to graduate at Vets and is now studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Kevin came up with the concept of having members of the school’s robotics team start elementary school robotics clubs. He found a group of students hungry to apply themselves to robotics, but the reality that kits costing $350 limited his reach to only a handful of kids.

But Kevin had followers and none more instrumental to the way things have turned out than teacher and now coach of the Pilgrim team, Larry West.

Kevin did the math and applied for a grant from a foundation with a mission to involve girls in science. He didn’t get the money. He persisted, however. He thought if each of the 15 elementary schools bought a kit, then overall there would be enough kits to bring robotics to 30 kids on a rotating basis.

As West outlined what happened next, Kevin talked with Warwick Neck Elementary School Principal Patricia Cousineau, who arranged for him to come before a meeting of elementary school principals. This time he had a multitude of believers. Every principal liked the idea and thought their school could raise the money to buy a kit.

Having kits with as many as 500 pieces to build a robot is one thing. Running a program is another.

West saw the program as a means of interaction between high school and elementary school students seeding an interest in science at an early age. He set up a program during after school hours where the Vets team joined by Kevin’s mother, Donna, and his twin younger brothers, Ryan and Aidan, both Vets students, would visit an elementary school for four days a week. Now at Pilgrim, the team landed at Cedar Hill School this week.

Last year, nine students participated in the program. This year there are 30.

What’s the buzz?

Fifth-grader Jaclyn Candon knew exactly what sparked her interest. She had participated in the “Hour of Code,” where kids are introduced to writing computer programs. The icing was Legos. For as long as she remembers, Jaclyn has loved building things with Legos. Legos along with circuit boards, tiny motors and electrical components make up the kits that include page-by-page instructions. Jaclyn’s mention of Hour of Code was just what Cedar Hill School Principal Colleen Mercurio wanted to hear. The Hour of Code was a gateway to other learning opportunities.

As a result, with the help of grant monies from Mayor Scott Avedisian, the school has bought eight kits so that it can continue the program after West and the team move on to another school next week.

“This is like a training [session] for us,” said Mercurio. Some of the school’s six graders are looking on so that they help introduce robotics to underclassmen.

West is not paid for any of his work with robots, not as a high school coach or taking the program on the road. It’s not part of the contract. He said he has had tremendous support from Pilgrim Principal Gerry Habershaw and Superintendent Philip Thornton. Yet, he’s all too aware that teachers have been without a contract since 2015.

“I hope they resolve this contract stuff,” he said.

He feels teachers should have the tools to teach, and one of them is a contract. Meanwhile, he doesn’t see stopping what he believes in nor does he think other teachers are taking their frustration out on students.

“I don’t think any teacher agrees with punishing kids,” he said.

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