Thank you for your interest in the robotics team, let's start by going over what the robotics program is about and what to expect.  

Small teams of 3 to 5 students design, build, and program their own robot from a kit of parts, then take it to events where they compete against students from other schools.  The kids are having fun while learning.  

Qualification events are in SE Michigan, and are typically on Saturdays, starting in the morning and lasting for most of the day.  Families are responsible for getting their children to and from events.  Expect to attend two or three qualification events.

In middle school, there are two robotics programs: Vex IQ for 6th grade and Vex EDR for 7th and 8th grade.  

Vex IQ robots are made of snap-together plastic parts.  Vex IQ is a great way to get started in robotics, but it can also be very competitive and challenging.   Meetings are held after school in the robotics lab.  The cost of Vex IQ is $300 per student.

Vex EDR robots are made of metal and are held together by nuts and bolts. Some bending, cutting, and drilling of materials will be needed.  These robots require more patience and persistence to build.  Meetings will be on Saturday mornings and on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in the robotics center.  The cost of EDR is $450 per student.

The Vex robotics season, for IQ and EDR, starts at the beginning of the school year and ends in February.  The season can extend into the end of April for teams that advance to the State, or World Championships.  

Students that are involved in sports or other seasonal activities can join robotics and be active when their schedule permits.  Attempts will be made to put students with similar schedule constraints on the same team.

A parent meeting will be scheduled before the first team meeting, and before final commitments are made to join the team.

We are looking for students with a desire to learn, that are not afraid of hard work, and want to have fun.   No prior robotics experience is necessary.   Students are expected to conduct themselves in compliance with the NDPMA student code of conduct at all times.