Clairton Middle Schoolers Collaborate through Robotics

By Brynn Harshbarger (STEM Program Instructor)

Clairton Robotics Club

Clairton’s VEX Robotics Club, in partnership with the Will Allen Foundation, is off to another great season! Last year marked the inaugural year for the Clairton Bears Robotics Team. Despite being newcomers, one of our teams proudly earned a Sportsmanship Award for their outstanding collaboration and communication with other teams.

VEX IQ Competition

This year, our club has grown from two to three competitive teams, and excitement is building for their first competition of the season on December 12 at Woodland Hills.

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) is an international STEM challenge where students design, build, and program robots to complete game-based engineering tasks. Each season introduces a new game that requires strategy, innovation, and teamwork. Teams compete in matches where alliances work together to score points by moving objects, completing challenges, and demonstrating autonomous programming.

Developing Real-World Skills Through Robotics

Through collaboration with teammates, troubleshooting design challenges, and preparing for competition, Clairton’s middle schoolers are developing valuable skills in communication, problem-solving, and perseverance.

At the upcoming Woodland Hills Competition, regional teams will come together to face this year’s game, Mix and Match. In this challenge, teams compete (and cooperate!) to earn as many points as possible by stacking multi-colored pins and beams.

VEX Robotics helps students see that STEM is a collaborative process that thrives on creativity, experimentation, and teamwork. We can’t wait to see what this season has in store for the Clairton Bears Robotics Team!

‍