The fun and education of robots for youth

Jan<brinn@msu.edu> Brinn, Michigan State University Extension -

Youth engaging in robotics programs build on their mathematic and creative skills, working to ensure that they are better able to compete in STEM career fields.

The Michigan STEM Vital Signs: Change the Equation publication states that the future of Michigan depends on its ability to boost student performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They continue that the young people in Michigan will increasingly face stiff competition for jobs from people across the world; to succeed in the global economy, Michigan students will need a much stronger foundation in STEM subject areas. According to the 2011 Michigan student performance on the ACT exam, only 17.3 percent of our high school graduates are college- or career-ready without remediation.

The LEGO education also provides hands-on science, technology, engineering and math. Each lesson has unique solutions for educators bringing more innovations and creativity to their classrooms. It’s exciting to watch young engineers create robots from simple items from a junk drawer, craft box or a purchased robot kit.

The building process of measuring, calculating and evaluating these simple robots can assist in increasing mathematic skills and test scores. Overall, the building of a simple aluminum foil, paperclip and google-eyed robot may be the spark in building a youths’ future higher education or career goals in a STEM related field. Who knows? They may even become a robotics engineer.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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