The Broomfield Robotics Club gives students with an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) a community of belonging in which they can explore their interests and grow their passions. Building a healthy team where everyone feels included and contributes meaningfully is our primary goal, so the team devotes time throughout the season to work intentionally on teamwork and community building.
We are committed to welcoming students from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, gender identities, learning needs/styles, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We work closely with volunteers from the Broomfield Refugee Resettlement Program, and students on the teams come from five different countries and speak nine different languages. We strive to help ALL students succeed in STEM, and we are committed to increasing the number of minority, women, neuro-diverse, and LGBTQ+ professionals in STEM fields.
Fostering Inclusivity & Teamwork
Promoting STEM Education & Innovation
Students in the Broomfield Robotics Club are part of the FIRST community, and officially become members in 2nd grade when they start FLL Explore. FIRST is a competitive robotics program for K-12 students that prepares them for a future in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Guided by volunteer mentors from the STEM and education professions, students develop skills in teamwork, leadership, problem solving, mechanical design and assembly, CAD (Computer Aided Drafting), programming, technical writing, public speaking, business management, photography/videography, graphic design, and more. While the students focus on building innovative and competitive robots, the mentors are focused on helping students develop the skills they need to thrive now and in the future. As FIRST founder Dean Kamen says, “We are not using kids to build robots. We are using robots to build kids.”
Having Fun Along the Way
To encourage a healthy work/life balance, games and playtime are built into every Broomfield Robotics Club season. The students’ mental health is a priority, so time to unwind, connect and play is an important component of the program. Students quickly find that work on the robots is just as much fun as playtime, and are motivated by all the small successes they achieve along the way. They come eager to get to work, and meeting time flies by.
Often billed as “The hardest fun you’ll ever have”, FIRST creates an energetic and supportive environment where students have fun while they tackle complex problems, compete fiercely, treat each other with the utmost caring and respect, help one another, and celebrate their accomplishments with the greater FIRST community. Cultivating a sports-like environment, day-long FIRST competitions are the culmination of a season of work and include a robot tournament, judging sessions, button swapping, music and dancing, an awards ceremony, and more. Competitions are open to the public and fun for all!
