For the aspiring engineers, makers, and coders, it is without a doubt that the Robotics Club at Indian Hills will help push you towards these future careers. In fact, the club is open to anyone who wishes to get out of their comfort zone and start building. The club encourages students to build with creativity, partnership, and initiative. Through trial and error, members get to see the reality of the engineering process: what it means to fail and how it feels to succeed.
Ms. Greene, an advisor for the club describes, “I think it helps students think outside the box. Whether they are coding or building, their creative side comes out. It’s an overall very welcoming and collaborative environment, and a good way to meet other students and build sportsmanship. There are no specified leaders, it’s rather a team.” It is clear that the club’s biggest strength is through collaboration. It is not only about building together, it’s the idea that students are able to bring perspective to bring impactful solutions.
What happens in Robotics?
The club utilizes Lego Mindstorm and Tetrix to build a robot. Software is typically run through Arduino IDE but a guide to how to run code and all the basics of understanding is provided as soon as you join. The club will meet once every two weeks during February, where they will review the rules and guidelines for the North Jersey Robotics Competition at Passaic County Community College. Meetings are more frequent towards the middle of May, when the competition usually occurs. The team has made remarkable achievements within the past years of competing, having brought home at least seven trophies.
How can I get involved?
Currently, the club is run by Mr. Fazio and Ms. Greene, both of whom also teach STEM and engineering-related classes to teach the students fundamentals for the club. Their emails are listed under the Robotics Club of Clubs/Activities section on the Ramapo Indian Hills website. Although, it is important to note that anyone is open to joining this community, no matter if they are a total beginner or have had previous experience.
