For the Heights Middle School robotics team, Jurassic Spark, long hours of coding and the stress of competition are just part of the fun that have made the extracurricular activity an unforgettable experience.
The team, composed of sixth through eighth grade students, competes in the FIRST LEGO League, an academic competition that requires students to code a robot to complete a series of missions on an obstacle course. An Innovation Project is also a core component of the competition, with teams judged on creative solutions to real-world problems.
After winning the Champions Award at a regional qualifier, Jurassic Spark earned the Robot Performance Award at the New Mexico state championship for posting the top score in the Robot Game.
The state championship took place Feb. 14 at Menaul School in Albuquerque. The team scored 255 points, finishing third overall and earning an invitation to the American Robotics Invitational in New Jersey this June.
Jurassic Spark members said the unveiling of the leaderboard was especially exciting after a day filled with focus and communication.
Grace McFarland, a STEM elective teacher, said the team assumed individual roles without her guidance, and that tenacity and determination gave them an edge at the competition.
Kyson Velarde, a sixth grader, said his role as the Core Values person, who helps teammates manage stress, has shown him how to balance fun with focus.
“I’m definitely a leader at heart,” said Ila Foster, a seventh grader. “When I got on my very first team last year, I wanted to control the entire team. This year, I learned to step back and let other people try first before I had to have my hands in it and make it what I thought was perfect.”
Building a successful team meant strengthening teammates with less experience while encouraging them to excel in their individual strengths, Foster said.
“I definitely also feel like, over the season, we see other strengths and weaknesses, and we can help fill the gaps,” she said.
One challenge that brought the team together and encouraged new ideas was a mission called the Mineshaft Explorer, said sixth grader Alina Bonilla.
“The gears line up on each attachment has these special gears that align with the robot, and every time we program it or change them, it’s easy, because we have the quick release pins and are easier to change the attachments, instead of wasting crucial seconds that we’d spend changing the attachments,” she said.
This year’s Jurassic Spark Innovation Project focuses on water scarcity in San Juan County.
Gracie Prado, a seventh grader, said the team wanted to develop a project that would help the local community.
“We looked on like problems just in our area, in New Mexico, and water scarcity was one of the first ones to pop up because the entire Navajo Nation is currently struggling with water scarcity,” Foster said.
As the team looks ahead to the June competition, members said they have gained teamwork skills and continue to expand their knowledge of robotics.
“It takes more than just one person to do all this,” said eighth grader Jacob Ferrier. “When you work together, you can achieve extraordinary things.”
Participation on the robotics team has opened doors to interests ranging from engineering to software development. For some members, including Foster and Prado, the extracurricular has also led to lasting friendships.
“The biggest thing I see them developing is their social skills,” McFarland said. “I have a student he came in sixth grade super shy, he liked STEM, but he didn’t really have a good grasp of it, and now he’s probably one of the top students in STEM. He has a 4.0 all the time. … He doesn’t have any of the social anxiety, and I’ve seen that with a lot of them.”
McFarland said she believes STEM education is essential and that students often lack opportunities for hands-on learning. Her goal is to provide projects that allow students to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings.
“I definitely want to keep the STEM opportunities alive here at Heights,” she said.
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