Robotics Club - Robotics Projects Track

Overview of our Robotics Club

The Storming Robots Robotics Club is an engineering program for children from grades 4 to 12. We MUST emphasize that our programs: focus on using Robotics Projects to instill and strengthen engineering disciplines and analytical mind, not just robotics itself. See our Culture and Motto.

Characteristics

Visit our calendar page to see a detailed weekly schedule.

Platforms

Culture and Motto at Storming Robots Roboclub

Storming Robots believes students should ...

• Work hard, play hard, have fun in learning robotics and programming, and take pride in their efforts.
• Develop a problem-solving mentality, analytical mind.
• Love exploring how stuff works.
• Take responsibility and risks.
• Persevere and be resourceful.
• Share and have Fun in Doing and Creating.
• Be proud yet Humble.
• Immerse ourselves in opportunities.

About Our Students

Kids love Storming Robots! Our students are enthusiastic, and many come back year after year.

• Over 90% students returning rate! 
• Many have attended our Roboclub program every year ever since beginning in elementary school, continuing through 12th grade
• Many travel for more than 35 minutes to attend each year, from locations as far away as Bergan County and Monmouth County, New Jersey, and Newtown and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
• Roboclub students have the opportunity to compete at the international level. Since 2011, our teams have won world titles in various competitions. Click on the Competitions link in the left panel to read more.
• Our advanced students and their impressive achievements have been featured by major media outlets, including MSNBC and the BBC, as well as Robot magazine.
• Visit our Testimonials page to read feedback from parents, see where our students have been accepted to college, and learn more about what they’ve achieved.

Robotics Projects Group

This is a trimester-based weekly forum for those who are interested in pursuing robotics projects. In this subgroup, students will:

• Learn about automation and systems engineering through hands-on robotics projects.
• Focus on challenges that are application-based, open-ended and goal-oriented, exercising their problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills.
• Immerse themselves in a challenging and engaging hands-on environment, allowing them to delve deeply into robotics.
• Capitalize on their creativity within various engineering disciplines.
• Work through the entire engineering process, from coming up with an idea and a goal to planning and executing an iterative development process to success!
• Have opportunity to take on level of technical challenge not commonly present in conventional grades schools.

We choose the name "club" instead of "class" for the  lack of less intimidating words, because we do not want to make kids feel that that is an extension of formal classroom environment. 

Computer Science / Algorithms group

This subgroup has four levels. Levels II through IV go beyond what is covered in Advanced Placement Computer Science A.
This subgroup is for students who:

- Are interested in software development.

- Wish to pursue more advanced robotics projects.

- Want to pursue college computer science level.

- click here for more details about this sub-group.

Mentorship

The most outstanding roboclub members who demonstrate maturity to self-discipline will be selected to perform mentorship for robotics classes, competitive teams, and even competitive events coordination.

They will have opportunity to  actively be involved in creating visions and plans, trying to articulate them, and exercise the commitment to completion.  Through mentorship, they truly gain the sense of leadership in dedication, integrity, assertivenes, magnanimity, and humility.

 

Roadmap for Engineering Learning Path

Our programs offer a scaffolding learning roadmap that students follow from grade 4 to 12. Programs for students in grades 8 to 12 usually involve projects that require algorithmic and computational thinking and analysis.

For the students who have been with us for several years, we provide detailed guidance. Individualized roadmaps are created for their four years in high school based on their personal learning style, interests, strengths and weaknesses. We have found that this helps students to define themselves clearly and boosts their competitiveness in the college application process.

Many students joined Storming Robots since their primary school years until they graduated to College. They continuously accumulate their engineering in robotics and computer science knowledge.  We provided opportunity to cover advanced level work. We do not use the term 'Advanced' loosely in order to boost enrollment. Advanced level usually means work reaching college level, which boost their competitiveness in entering college engineering project teams during college years.

If you are one of our roboclub parents, you may Email us to inquire a copy of the detailed roadmap.

Students Evaluation Report

Parents will receive Work Habit Report at the end of Fall and Spring term, as well as a Technical Performance Report at the end of each school year.

Special note:  No report in the Winter term except for:

• new students;
• returning students with issues that instructors deem important to bring attention to  parents.  For these special cases, parents will most likely receive a notification before renewal starts.

End of Term Students Presenation

For beginners, there is a mandatory technical presentation or mini-contest at the last robotics classe of each trimester.  This is a form of assessment on students' learning progress. 

Performance Badges

This system is at its infancy and still under development. More enhancement will be put in place in the future in order to solidify the effectiveness of this merit-based reward system.  Please contact the office  about the digital badges available

Our Robotics Online Forum - 24x7

• Strengthen process of thinking in engineering.
• Encourage knowledge exchange in the realm of  robotics.
• Meet others who have similar interests and caliber. 
• Open Communication among team members at all time.

This forum, is designed for our students, all between age 10 and 18. For security purpose, only students and parents will be given access to the forum. All other registration requests will be rejected.

In addition, all postings will be closely monitored. 

Prerequisites:

Although most of our students have outstanding academic records in math and science, we recognize that even those who do not have top grades often have tremendous potential. Therefore, while many of our students are enrolled in “gifted and talented” programs at their schools, this is not a prerequisite for joining our programs, and we welcome any student who has a genuine interest in robotics and engineering.  

There are a few attributes we feel are essential to enjoy and succeed in our Roboclub. Students wishing to participate must:  

• Be proficient in Mathematics, writing, and reading for their grade levels.
• Have a positive learning attitude.
• Have the desire to enrich themselves in robotics and math.
• Love technical, hands-on projects, thinking outside the box.
• Enjoy challenging their mind and creativity.
• Be willing to work with others and conform to our code of conduct.

 

Computer Lab

Our networked computers lab contains a multitude of programming environments to choose from, including a sophisticated, but intuitive graphical interfaced programming language, and different flavors of C compilers for the RCX and NXT platforms. 

Internet access is facilitated for accessing educational and teaching resources only.