Local Events
Potomac School Robotics members strive to be active in the promotion of STEM and robotics in the greater Washington DC area. Through attending technology conferences and mentoring local robotics teams, we hope to encourage other students in our area to explore STEM fields.
VEX Robotics Teams at Second Story
During MASTERS, an after-school math tutoring program, Potomac teams teach children of Second Story, a program that gives less fortunate kids opportunities to learn about their interests in a safe environment, about robotics. The after school program which is on Wednesdays, is geared towards teaching kids about STEM in a fun and interactive way. Students interact with kids from Second Story under the guidance of a teacher to help tutor kids in math and science.
Potomac Robotics Shares Program at MPA ArtFest
Over Columbus Day Weekend, high school teams from the Potomac Robotics Program joined forces at the McLean Project for the Arts ArtFest in Virginia to celebrate the intersection of both the arts and technology. Teams demonstrated the new challenge, and granted interested guests the opportunity to try driving the robots. Additionally, teams worked at an arts and crafts station, where visitors learned about the different parts of robots, including gears, and were able to get creative with their art project. Thank you to all who visited and participated!
Potomac Presents at Space Day
Space Day, hosted in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian Museum, is an annual event used to allow guests the opportunity to try topics in the field of STEM firsthand. Both the VEX and VEX IQ teams helped to present to a large group of interested families about the design and building process, as well as a hands-on demonstration to showcase the robotics program. During their presentation, teams spoke of hardships endured, and how through handwork and dedication, they were able to overcome.
Upper School Girls Speak at the Girls In Technology Conference
On February 11, 2015, Ms. Jarratt and seven girls (Jessica Byun, Diya Nuxoll, Madeline Dubelier, Seyoung Hong, Jasmine Terrones, Emma Lee, and Becca Crawley) on the Potomac School Robotics team spoke at the Girls in Technology (GIT) conference at the AT&T Solutions Building in Leesburg, VA. GIT is a program designed to create awareness, excitement, educate and inspire girls to the vast array of opportunities available to women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). During the conference, the girls talked about how robotics has shaped the way they problem-solve, the impact of robotics both inside and outside of school, and the importance of failure.
Learn more about GIT here.
Learn more about GIT here.
Intermediate School Girls Explore STEM Careers
Girls on the IS robotics team attended a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mentoring event this week at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. They were introduced to mentors in each field, including nuclear scientists, astrophysicists, and even a metallurgist who brought a piece of the Titanic. The event was co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. Click here to read a blog post from the robotics team Gear Gals about their experience.
SySTEMic Solutions
Members of the Potomac School Robotics program are working with SySTEMic Solutions to make robotics available to students in Fairfax County Public Schools. We are mentoring students at community centers in the Gum Springs, Bailey's Crossroads, and Reston areas to aid them with the robot building process and programming. To learn more about this amazing program, visit their website here.
VEX Programming Workshop Hosted by SySTEMic Solutions
Five of our members facilitated a VEX Programming Workshop, teaching the basics for ROBOTC. For notes and videos from our workshop, click here.