This spring, students from the University of Houston chapter of MAES began volunteering with the robotics program at Reagan High School, located in the Houston Independent School District. The high school students in the robotics club, under the instruction of Mr. Fernando Blasco, design and build robots using FIRST robotics kits. The students will compete in a FIRST robotics regional competition this April, where their robots will be put to such challenges as balancing on a narrow plank, and launching basketballs at targets. The high school students invest many hours of free time into their project, usually staying after school for several days each week.

Since January, MAES volunteers have traveled to Reagan High School every Thursday and Friday to provide the robotics class with hands-on assistance in building the robots, as well as student mentorship. Although the MAES volunteers offer guidance, the Reagan High School students are responsible for the planning of every aspect of the project, from design to construction.

The goal of the UH MAES chapter is to encourage the high school students to pursue higher education, particularly in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. While the MAES volunteers are helping to build the robots, they can answer questions about college life, the experience of studying in a STEM major, and the University of Houston atmosphere. Assisting with the robotics programs of local area high schools has been a long-standing tradition at the UH MAES chapter. The leadership hopes to strengthen ties with the communities in the greater Houston area by providing both community service and positive university student role models.

By: Dylan Quiroz

For more information on MAES visit their website.

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