By Carla Jose
So you’ve got a passion for robotics and you want to share it with your classmates? Or perhaps you’re an educator and you’re eager to introduce students to this rapidly expanding part of the tech sector. In either case, starting a club dedicated to the topic of robotics, including theoretical discussions as well as practical experiments, is a great way to fulfill your ambitions. So what’s the best way to go about this? Let’s look at the steps you’ll need to take.
Ticking all the bureaucratic boxes
Before you get carried away, be sure to speak with a school administrator to find out about what you’ll need to do in order to officially found a new club, and also to learn about any requirements you’ll need to meet to do this legitimately. The good news is that virtually all types of clubs are legally allowed, so there shouldn’t be much resistance from an ideological standpoint.
Aspects like the involvement of an adequate allocation of adults to oversee the kids in this context will have to be factored in, of course. You might also need to justify the creation of the club by demonstrating that there’s sufficient enthusiasm for it out there already.
Gauging the level of interest
Leading on from dealing with the bureaucratic side of establishing a robotics club, it’s sensible to ask other students whether they’d want to participate in this scheme.
Ideally you’ll get them to put their names down, so that you can show the school administrator just how much demand for the club exists, which in turn will make it easier to get the green light.
Even elementary students can benefit from robotics, so don’t be afraid to engage with younger people as well as those with more experience.
Getting a member of the faculty onboard
For robotics fans, the next move is to connect with an educator who’s happy to share the burden of starting a club and also to fight your corner when engaging with administrators during the setup stage.
In the case that you’ve already got technical team members available to you, talking with teachers with appropriate specialisms and backgrounds will make the most sense.
Someone who knows how to run comprehensive API tests to troubleshoot issues with the robot’s instructions, rather than just an educator whose skills lie elsewhere, will be a valuable asset to your fledgling club.
If the club attracts a large enough number of students, then a single teacher might not be enough to oversee everything. This is where asking for parental involvement comes into play.
Finding a usable space
Part and parcel of picking a teacher to take the reins of your robotics club is to also gain access to a space that can be used to host it.
A standard classroom might suffice if you’ve got no other options, but a workshop setup is definitely preferable. You’ll need access to tools, benches, power outlets and of course the right safety equipment.
Writing a mission statement & list of best practices
Having aims is helpful when starting a robotics club, so putting together a mission statement that formalizes these will work wonders.
This can be something as simple as an explanation that you want to further the understanding of robotic systems and solutions among students, but it’s also possible to be specific. For example, if you want to work towards entering competitions, or completing particular projects, include this info.
In addition to this, having best practices set down in writing is advised. You might include things like details of how many attendees the club can safely accommodate at any one time, and who will be responsible for running what aspect of each get-together.
Basically, if you can clear up any uncertainty and rule out ambiguity at the start, your club will find its feet quicker.
Aiming for approval
At this point you should be ready to ask the school administrator to ratify your club and allow you to proceed. So long as you have stuck to the aforementioned guidelines of your particular establishment, this should be easy enough to work through.
Furthermore, an administrator will be on hand to handle the other tasks involved in getting a robotics club off the ground, such as sorting out scheduling and issuing permission slips where relevant.
Getting the ball rolling
Ahead of your club’s maiden meeting, you’ll need to put in all the planning that’s required to make it run as smoothly as possible.
If you’ve got equipment to procure or software to license, don’t leave this to the last minute. Also remember to keep all prospective members of the club in the loop, so that they know what to expect and also what’s expected of them.
With all this in hand, you’ll be ready to launch a robotics club in your school that could change the lives of its members for the better!
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About the Author: Carla from BrandMatcher.io writes and breaths about digital marketing. Always figuring out efficient ways to leverage his writing skills and sharing all knowledge possible.