Grant to fund new robotics class

Lakeview students Aubrey Brunell, Isabel Wern, and Christian Walker working with a newly-acquired robot PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL

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By Bella Stockett

At the end of the 23-24 school year, Engineering teacher Jolaine Price’s new Lakeview robotics course received a $250,000 grant from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).

Although Price is certified to teach robotics, the school simply didn’t have the funds to run the program despite the many suggestions to do so.

This year, however, the SME grant became available and the district took the opportunity to apply.

“There’s been some interest in robotics for a long time, and people have asked me to teach it; we just didn’t have the budget to start that,” Price said.

With the grant money, Price and administration have selected a number of machines needed to run the course such as robots, mechatronics, a 3D printer, and more. Along with this new machinery comes the extensive training to prepare Price to teach the class in the fall.

“Some of the equipment I am very familiar with, but some is brand new; so there’s been a lot of training involved to prepare me to train these kids next year,” stated Price.

Some of Price’s current students have been lucky enough to get to test some equipment out as they prepare for this new class which only seems to make them even more excited for the coming year.

“I am really looking forward to actually being able to use the robots and other machines and learn how to program them because I have always been interested in all that type of stuff. I’ve helped Mrs. Price these past few weeks move and set up her room; hearing what everything does, I have become even more interested and excited for next year,” said Isabel Wern, ‘27.

The exciting new class will be made up of about 25 students working on one large robot.

They’ll be able to split into stations and work together to problem solve and get themselves more familiar with the equipment. The main goal is for students to be able to create basic programs and circuits on the robot.

“I’ve been getting taught how to use the different machines and programs and such on the new equipment; I’m not very good at it now, but it does make me more excited for the class next year,” said Caleb Horton ‘26.

Both Price and her students are excited to see this grant money put to use and are looking forward to testing out the new machinery to find out all that it can do.