Grand River Prep Robotics Team Preparing Students for Life

Starting with their imagination and a piece of wood, Grand River Preparatory High School students have engineered a robot ready to take on the competition, owning the process from start to finish. This team of 15 students is learning about engineering, real-world life skills, and having plenty of fun.

“It’s really fun to drive the robot and the process of using trial and error in the coding to make it work as intended is what I really enjoy,” said junior Elijah Lipscomb. “I have done most of the programming from the ground up and driven the robot a lot, so we’re pretty involved.”

Students start each January after For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) unveils the game for that year, designing a robot to complete a variety of tasks. This year’s contest involved picking up a ball and placing PVC pipe on a metal stand, among other objectives. Once their design is complete, the team cuts metal to build their framework and maps out wiring, which allows the control system to relay commands to the robot.


The team uses Java to program the robot’s actions. As with every other component of the team’s machine, students are in charge of what they want the robot to do. This hands-on experience is giving team members glimpses of their future.

Lipscomb is in his first year on the school’s robotics team and leads their programming efforts. He aspires to be a software engineer and video game designer, and said building the robot’s code directly applies to his desired career.

“It helps me because I have learned a new coding language, Java, which a lot of video games are written in,” Lipscomb said. “Using this language, and doing programming in general, helps me prepare for my future.”


While students are learning engineering basics, English teacher Philip Jackson, who oversees the team, ensures they are also learning life skills such as teamwork, overcoming adversity, and problem-solving.

Moral Focus virtues, the backbone of National Heritage Academies (NHA^®) character-based curriculum, are also infused into conversations. The group speaks about using integrity in interactions, wisdom in their decision-making, and encouraging each other. Jackson said what he enjoys most is helping them navigate life with these values top of mind.

“I can see them grow as people,” Jackson said. “I can see that they’re going to take these skills into their future, no matter what their career is or what they’re going to be doing 10 years from now. I can see their growth from when they were a freshman or sophomore, and they grow a lot.”


FIRST events also include working together and communicating with fellow teams, as competitions bring three groups together to form an alliance. As teams share insight, students are also improving their interpersonal skills.

Team captain and senior Andrea Ramirez has been with the robotics team since it began during her sophomore year. She plans to study finance and international business in college while keeping hands-on building as a hobby. Even though her intended field of study isn’t engineering-focused, she said being on the robotics team has taught her a lot in other areas.

“I have learned a lot about communication,” Ramirez said. “It’s a big thing. Before being on this team, I was more shy, and it was difficult for me to hold a conversation. Now I have more confidence after communicating with other teams and talking strategy. It has helped me build confidence and communication skills.”


Students are taking away more than just the basics of robotics and improving these life skills helps students grow academically and personally. This culmination of STEM education, emphasis on Moral Focus, and student ownership provides a unique experience that prepares students for what’s ahead.

“It’s teaching them leadership skills, engineering skills, troubleshooting,” Jackson said. “They have to think on the fly, work on the fly, and work under pressure. It’s not just the engineering and building that they’re learning. Those are added benefits. It’s about these other skills like teamwork and problem solving.”
About Grand River Prep
Grand River Preparatory High School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Kentwood, Michigan, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA^®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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