ARLINGTON — Arlington High School’s Robotics Team gets plenty of practice developing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills through their annual robot-building competitions, but what might be less evident is how well-versed they’ve become in communications and politics.
Although members of the AHS team have traveled to Olympia to talk with state legislators about their robotics club, Jan. 13 marked the first time the organization that stages those competitions set aside a day for the teams to visit the state capitol.
Martin Luther King Day saw Washington FIRST Robotics arrange meetings between students and the legislators’ staffers to thank those elected officials for their support of STEM education, including $700,000 for grade 9-12 robotics competitions, grade 7-12 technology challenges and grade 4-8 LEGO leagues.
“We were able to tell them, through our firsthand experiences, how funding STEM has inspired students,” AHS Robotics Club President Elizabeth Burnham said. “When we’ve talked to younger kids in other schools about robotics, they get excited and want to learn more. We’ve had several who have graduated from elementary or middle school, and become valuable members of our club.”
Kaylee Wren, the club’s public relations manager, credited STEM with offering students a preview of possible fields of study in college.
“You can dabble in a bunch of different subjects and get a better idea of what you want to go into,” Wren said.
Although the legislators were in session and unavailable to meet, their assistants expressed enthusiasm for the students’ efforts.
“I think most folks who meet with them come to them with a laundry list of requests,” AHS Robotics Club faculty member Mark Ehrhardt said. “They weren’t expecting us to express our appreciation.”
Wren agreed: “Even after we told them, ‘Thank you,’ they were asking, ‘Okay, so what do you want?'”
Burnham noted that robotics requires more social skills than one might expect, since students have to speak to judges “in a professional manner” at competitions, explaining how their teams have promoted STEM to their peers and throughout the community.
“After three years in the club, I’ve done a lot of talking,” Burnham said.
Wren added: “When we get new members, we prepare them with lists of questions and role-play their responses.”
Although Wren remains uncertain as to her future, doing PR for the club has given her enough insights on the human condition for her to be interested in psychology.
“Doing PR, you learn to read other people, to see what they’re interested in, and figure out how to use language to motivate them,” Wren said.
As for Burnham, she’s leaning toward bioengineering, and has applied for a scholarship at Montana State University, but plans to attend Washington State University otherwise.
In the meantime, both Burnham and Wren are looking forward to their competitions in March, which Burnham characterized as a combination of the last few years of challenges.
“Our robots will have to shoot to make high and low goals, be able to climb and deal with obstacles,” Burnham said.
Ehrhardt reported that this year’s competition will have a Medieval theme of “Strongholds,” in which the robots have to throw “boulders,” breach castles and capture flags.
“Our art club is decorating our robot this year, to make it look cooler and more suited to the theme,” Wren said.
Looking ahead, the team members hope the legislature and community will continue what they deemed very generous support, and invited youngsters to study up on robotics and pursue membership in the club.
“We’re very welcoming,” Burnham said. “Even if you don’t go to our high school, we’ll give you plenty of opportunities to become a valued member of the team.”
