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Text by JONAS PAO
Kurious minds lend a hand
A ROBOTICS TEAM GIVES BACK DURING COVID
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ALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL ju- Aside from participating in robotics, Kurinior Albert Cai holds up a sheet of osity Robotics works on community projplastic transparency film used for ects, which Cai hopes is what makes the laser printers as he explains how team stand out. “Other FTC teams view us as a team difficult it was for his robotics team to find with a really good robot, but we also rematerials to build face shields. “A lot of people have the idea of mak- ally pride ourselves on our impact on the ing facial shields, so this led to literally ev- community,” Cai said. “All the classes, all ery plastic thing being out of supply,” Cai the summer camps and the face shield inisaid. “We take pride in finding this mate- tiative.” With the face shield initiative, the rial, which is basically transparency films. ... They’re like the perfect size for the face robotics team was able to give back to the community by creating and distributing shields.” Originally created in 2015 as a pro- more than 5,000 face shields to local hospitals. gramming club for Junior Ausa group of friends, Other FTC teams view us as tin Xiang is part Kuriosity Robotics is a team of Bay a team with a really good ro- of the build and subArea high school bot, but we also really pride business team of Kuriosistudents who use their technology ourselves on our impact on ty Robotics. He believes Kuriosiskills to execute the community.” ty Robotics’ next various initiatives — ALBERT CAI, Kuriosity Robotics member step should be to that help the comshift their focus munity, the most recent of which was making face shields for to creating a summer camp to involve more students in STEM. local hospitals. “As a team, we just want to give everyThe robotics team primarily participates in the For Inspiration and Recog- one who has access to the internet a quality nition of Science and Technology Tech STEM education,” Xiang said. “We know Challenge robotics competition, a robotics that usually when things are in person, we competition consisting of middle school have to find venues … but with it online and high school robotics teams. Last year, you just have so many more opportunities Kuriosity Robotics qualified for the FTC to teach people who, as long as they have World Championships, but were unable access to the internet, can all come to our to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. courses.” Sophomore Arthur Balva acknowledges that being in the heart of WORKING WITH KURIOSITY — A Silicon Valley, there are many member of Kuriosity Robotics peers other prominent STEM down at the work of his avid summer campers. “In past years, we did an OK summer programs. Acjob at running the summer camp, but I cording to Balva, what think this year, our goal was to engage makes Kuriosity Rothem [campers] more, and so in our
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botics unique is that all of the teachers are high school students. “Through experience at school, we know what it’s like to be learning online, unlike some other programs, where it’s just adults teaching who haven’t actually done much online learning during the pandemic,” Balva said. “So we have learned throughout the year what methods are actually effective for students online.” Beyond the advantages of being a group of high school students, Kuriosity Robotics is looking to inspire more underrepresented groups to participate in STEM, and even join their robotics team. Currently, the team has ten male members, but only one female member, and a majority of the staff is Asian. “Another reason why we’re doing these camps is potential recruitment,” Balva said. “With these camps, I hope we can inspire more girls and people of other ethnicities to explore the STEM field more.” v
planning this year, it’s super project based,” Arthur Balva, a KuriosityRobotics member, said. Photo: Tram Phan
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