Robotics Team Outreach
Junior Poppy Shattuck ’27, Outreach Coordinator for the school’s robotics team, wrote this article about the team’s outreach projects.
Members of the St. Johnsbury Academy Robotics Team have been organizing outreach events to support local youth interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Kicking off this effort, the group participated in all three Saint Johnsbury Final Friday events this summer, bringing their robot, 3D printer, and some interactive activities for kids and the broader community to engage with and learn from.
Later in the fall, team leaders Wes Barlow ‘26, Will Barlow ‘26, and Carson Farnham ‘26 participated in a panel on the Robotics Team experience and the opportunities it has given them at the Vermont Techjam held in Burlington in October. Wes and Carson both discussed the internships they gained at Momentum Manufacturing in Lyndonville through their experience on the team.
The team has also hosted five events through the Saint Johnsbury Athenaeum, the Cobleigh Library, the Barnet Library, and the Peacham Library, where they organized stations such as marshmallow catapults, popsicle stick bridges, and aluminum foil boats for youth ages 8-11 to build fun activities while learning about strategic engineering techniques.
Looking ahead, the group is excited to host a January workshop at Lyndon Town School with a local Girl Scout troop to help kids earn engineering badges. They are also continuing their library events into the winter and spring, with plans to expand the program to even more libraries throughout the Northeast Kingdom and surrounding areas.
