by Donna Iadipaolo
WHAT SETS YPSILANTI’S robotic “Team 66” apart from other robotics teams in the area may not only be its diversity, but also the fact that it comes from a “STEMM” school.
Many people may be familiar with the push for “STEM” in education. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This is an area of the job market where there is the greatest demand, and many positions go unfilled. But the Ypsilanti team comes from a school an added “M” to STEM, standing for Manufacturing, which also includes work with such devices as machine tools and lathes.
Perhaps just as remarkable, close to half of Team 66’s Team are female. The team is diverse in terms of ethnic and racial representation, as well.
Diversity is important because certain groups have been historically underrepresented in the STEM fields. For instance, while women comprise half of all college graduates in the U.S., they only occupy 28 percent of STEM jobs in the U.S. Furthermore, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives account for only about 10 percent of individuals who occupy available of STEM jobs.
Like a few other schools in the area, Ypsilanti’s “Team 66” placed so well in the highly competitive State of Michigan robotics competition recently that it qualified to compete in the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, April 22-25.
FIRST® is a not-for-profit K-12 organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
“I’m very proud of the persistence and stamina of our students as well as their mentors and all the volunteers that helped them stay focused on the end result. They spent hours upon hours perfecting their robot and the techniques to compete,” said Laura Lisiscki, with the Superintendent’s Office of the Ypsilanti Community Schools. “It’s very exciting that Team 66 is ranked twelfth in the State and the eighth out of 389 teams to qualify to the World Championships in St. Louis.”
Biology teacher Scott Heister became the Lead Mentor of Team 66 in 2004. He said that the FIRST Robotics program at Ypsilanti Community High School is actually comprised of two teams. Team 66 is associated with the Ypsilanti Community High School STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing) Academy and TEAM 470 is associated with the other small learning communities at the high school.
“The total number in the (robotics) program is approximately 30 students,” said Heister. “Even though the teams are aligned with a specific school, all the students work within the program which supports both teams.”
Diana Bernal-Canesco is a junior at the Ypsilanti Community High School STEMM Academy. This is her third year on Team 66, also known as “The Flyers.” She attributes the encouragement of Heister as prompting her to join the team.
“My freshman year my Biology teacher Scott Heister talked a lot about robotics and it sounded like a great program,” said Bernal-Canseco. “I always knew I loved hands-on activities, so I decided to join with my friend Faith Greenwood to see if we would like it. We did, and I was hooked into everything they did from community service to building a bot and promoting the message of FIRST. Somehow from that point on I new robotics was my thing.”
Bernal-Canesco added that the mentors and other students always made everyone feel welcome in their participation when she started with the team.
“At first, I was a little shy and felt lost on what I should do,” she explained. “But that was gone in a matter of days because everyone was so welcoming. The mentors didn’t leave you out, they included you in what the others were doing. Since I came in the middle of build season, I found myself coming on Saturdays and Sundays to help build the robot, and I had fun doing so. I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty and I like learning new things so I wanted to jump right in.”
Bernal-Canesco added that Team 66’s success is due to the committed students and the mentors who pushed them to succeed.
“We spent thousands of hours on outreach, doing presentations, community service, building a bot, fundraising, promoting FIRST, and spreading STEM and FIRST,” she explained. “Our team works hard in every little thing we do….We help each other in and out of robotics, we look out for each other, making us a stronger family and team. So when competitions come around, we are there in the right mindset to only succeed. Working together in the machine shop, and helping each other understand by design makes our team successful.”
She plans to study biomedical engineering in college now, in part because of her work with robots.
“Robotics teaches you more than problem solving, building robots, or how to be a good presenter,” said Bernal-Canesco. “Robotics has an influence on my everyday life and has shaped me to be a better person with a strong mindset. I learned that I love science and engineering. If it weren’t because of the robotics team I think I would not have learned that about myself. I learned to push myself even when I’m tired because the real world runs like that. Robotics taught me to love and appreciate STEMM education. Due to the influence of robotics, I’m going to a camp in May, for girls in STEM. Robotics teaches you to overcome obstacles because when you are at robotics you forget about all the problems and enjoy being there.”
Heister said the robotics team also works within the STEMM Academy to support independent study projects, such as a drone project, T-shirt shooting canon and other projects that align with student interests.
“Being a part of the robotics team prepares students for a multitude of careers, as well as preparing students to be successful in post-secondary studies,” said Heister.
Heister added that students work to raise funds, design robots, learn machining and manufacturing skills, prepare presentations, design and run websites, prepare social media campaigns, develop business plans, create advertising and PR events, and much more.
“The current team members standardized test scores show significant gains, especially in the students’ mathematics and science scores,” said Heister. “This years’ students ACT data for Team Members is, on average, three points higher than other students in the high school.”
Not only do students gain valuable real-world science, technology, engineering, and mathematical skills—the program changes students’ outlooks on life.
“Besides the academic benefits, being a part of this program changes the mental maps for students for the rest of their lives,” said Heister. “Traveling to places that most, if not all of the students, have never been expose our traditionally at-risk students to a world they would have never had opened to their eyes.”
In the World Competition, the Ypsilanti team competes with teams that include Israel, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and every state in the U.S.
The State of Michigan competition is considered amongst the toughest in the nation because of the quantity and quality of the teams, according to Heister.
Michigan has the most FIRST robotics teams in the country, with about 350 total. About 90 Michigan teams are also competing in the World Championship, including Skyline High School, Dexter High School, and Whitmore Lake’s High School.
“Team 66 entered the Howell district, where they made it to the quarter finals, and the Escanaba District where they won the event,” said Heister. “After the two events the team was ranked 27th in the State, qualifying them for the State Championships in Grand Rapids, where the team made it to the Semi-Finals, ending in 3rd place.”
The point system enables teams to move ahead to the World Championship.
“With the points from the season and State Championships added together, the team ended 12th in the State, qualifying the team as the 8th-seeded team going into World championships, where there are 600 teams from around the World,” said Heister. “Team 470, the other team that our program sponsors, ended the season ranked 148th place, they took 3rd place at the Waterford District. Team 66 won the World Championships in 2002.”
During the competition students drive the robot, make any needed programing changes, make repairs to the robots, and develop strategies to fit who they are paired with during any match. Students also scout teams so they can analyze which are the best teams to choose as partners for the “elimination matches,”promotes their team, demonstrate the 3-D printer, and present to the judges.
“Students use a wide-range of technology, program in Java, learn to machine using lathe, mills, drill presses, radial saws, band saws and other manufacturing equipment,” further described Heister. “(Students) learn to wire circuit boards, work with a wide-range of motors, pneumatics, computers, drones, cameras.”
Heister said companies and businesses have made it economically possible for their team to thrive, as well.
“Generous donations from many community sponsors are making it possible for us to attend both the State Championships and Worlds. General Motors paid our $4,000 (State competition) and $5,000 (World competition) entry fees, other local donations are helping pay for the travel and hotel costs for the team,” said Heister. “The total cost to compete at World Championships to take the robot, students and mentors/chaperones, will be over $15,000. Our community has been extremely generous in their support, we have currently raised about $10,000 towards are trip.”
Donations may be made directly to the YCHS Robotics Program through the 501c3 (Ypsilanti FIRST Robotic Boosters, Inc.) and through a GoFundMe campaign: http://www.gofundme.com/Ypsirobotics, or to YCHS Robotics at Ypsilanti Community HS STEMM Academy.
