Volunteers help engineer success for robotics students at New Heights

Working with dozens of area youth through its various robotics programs, New Heights in Portsmouth and Exeter has come to rely on many sources of support, but one remains unknown by the public.

“It’s ‘elbow grease,’” said Wayne Moulton, STEM Coordinator at New Heights. “Our robotics programs rely on volunteers who serve as mentors and guides during practice and competitions—they are the unsung heroes of our whole STEM program.”

For Pat Bourque of LanAir, Inc., a sponsor of New Heights’ robotics programs, the experience has been without equal. Noting he observed the students design and then build their robots in anticipation of First Robotics Competitions, he said he and his coworker Brian served as a “sounding board” for the competitions themselves.

“Rather than provide specific answers, we would try to provide more of a path towards an answer,” he said. “At times, they could be set on certain decisions, which you just let play out. Most of the time, they'd realize the mistake on their own and correct it.”

Bourque said he was particularly impressed at the wide range of skills that were needed to complete the challenges in the competitions.

“Watching them make those mistakes and correcting for them just shows the amount of problem solving and communication that this competition requires,” he said. “From budgeting to building, the kids were all hands-on…To me, being able to pick up a screw driver or a wrench and fix something that's broken is a skill everyone should have.”

Moulton agreed and said input by Bourque and other volunteers help to strengthen the education experience for students.

“The amount of time and resources he and others are putting into this program is incredible,” he said. “Our STEM program is what it is because of the incredible support of the community—and it is not just financial support, it’s time and energy, too. We are very grateful for these partnerships.

In addition to LanAir, Inc, other sponsors of New Heights’ STEM Program include Unitil, Beswick Engineering, Experimac, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, DoD STEM, Daystar Computer Services, Newburyport Five Cents Saving Bank, The Provident Bank, Bottomline Technologies, and Seacoast Rotary.

To learn more about New Heights, or to become a sponsor, visit www.newheightsonline.org.