Alton Middle School to Offer New Robotics Program

ALTON - Local students will soon have the chance to take robotics classes at Alton Middle School.

The Alton Community Unit School District #11 received a $10,000 grant from Project Lead the Way made possible by Phillips 66, which will enable the middle school to offer a robotics program. Principal Dr. Brian Saenz and teacher Dr. Brad Bolt noted that this program will allow students to engage with cutting-edge technology in a variety of fields, from engineering to medicine.

“It’s going to benefit us all, having these kiddos develop all these skills,” Bolt said.

The Automation and Robotics class will offer hands-on STEM lessons that introduce students to engineering, robotics and computer programming. Students will develop an engineering mindset and basic life skills as they work in teams to program, problem-solve, test their designs and more.

Bolt, who will teach the class, will undergo over 40 hours of training to learn more about each lesson. He is “thrilled” to develop the robotics program and eager to work with students in this new capacity.

Saenz explained that Alton Middle School has several Project Lead the Way classes, all of which serve as pathways to the high school curriculum. Their goal is to set students up for success in middle school so they can take classes that align with their career goals in high school.

“We’re evolving our selections at the middle school to fit the high school for kids, to prepare them for what they’re going to do out in the world or in the industry,” Saenz said. “We want to get things that kids are interested in, that are going to help propel them into the high school and what they're going to do into the future.”

Bailey Hanson secured the Project Lead the Way grant, and she expressed her excitement to share the money with the students and teachers at AMS. The grant will provide supplies and pay for Bolt’s training.

“We’re really excited about it,” Hanson said. “There’s something so special about writing the grants to get opportunities for the students.”

She shared that they are always looking for donors or community partners who would be willing to help pay for additional supplies. The technology is quickly advancing, and Bolt, Saenz and Hanson noted the importance of providing kids with the most up-to-date tech they can. They are grateful to Phillips 66 and Project Lead the Way for their support, and they hope other businesses might consider sponsoring the program, too.

“We want to invest in our community and the education of our kiddos,” Bolt added. “I think that we look forward to that. We really appreciate any type of contributions corporations and private organizations can provide to us.”

As the robotics program takes off next year, students at Alton Middle School will have more opportunities to learn and develop their interests. Saenz, Bolt and Hanson agree that this is the most exciting part of all.

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