Group Of Lexington Girls Start Private Robotics Team

LEXINGTON, MA — Five Lexington fifth graders are diving head first into the STEM world, forming a private, all girls team to compete in robotics competitions across the state. The K5 Robotics team is full of girls from both Bridge School and Hasting Middle School, all five with a passion for science and technology.

The group was formed when team moms and coaches Ching Lai and Ranjeeta Khetan got together to think of a way to get their girls interested in science and technology. The moms pitched the idea to their girls and recruited some of their friends when the team formed last year.

Now, with a year of experience under their belts, the team has regular weekly meetings. "It was like a playdate but they need to work on the missions and project," Lai said. The coaches wanted to keep the team momentum going and decided to call in the Lexington High School all girls robotics team, Parity Bits. The high school girls helped mentor the middle school team and offer them encouragement on their projects.

"I see so much growth with these 11th year old this year comparing to last year," Lai said, "They have learned so much."

The K5 team competed in this year's regional competition in Leominster — their robot game earned the second highest score. The team advanced to the state competition and was given the Core Value Inspiration Award.

The team doesn't just focus on robotics competitions, but on way that their robotics skills can improve their community. The team created an all-season dog park on a once abandoned rooftop. The project required extensive research on the girls' end and interviews with a local architect and dog shelter.

"Their research around their project and solution (roof top dog park (all season) with waste management solution) says it all about the passion and love for their dogs," Khetan said.

While competition season is over, the girls are eager to get an early start on next year's challenges.