The Licking Heights Middle School Robotics Club is leading the way in innovation–and in doing good for others.

The club, advised by technology teacher Grace Fisher with assistance from special education aide Logan Hamilton, is using the middle school’s three-dimensional printer to create toys to donate to the Oncology Unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

So far, the Robotics Club has sent 25 toys to Nationwide Children’s. They hope to send 75 toys total by the end of the school year.

“The toy creation initiative has been led and overseen by Logan, who has been instrumental in initiating and monitoring this pathway,” Fisher says. “Logan has not only led the toy creation project with dedication but has also been a tremendous asset during our robotics endeavors. His contributions have greatly enriched our club's activities.”

Hamilton says his favorite part of working with the Robotics Club is watching a thought become a physical project with the 3D printer.

“With 3D printing, the possibilities are literally endless. You can think what you want for a project and make it a reality,” he says.

For Fisher, the true reward of advising the Robotics Club is watching students discover a space where they can explore their interests and get excited about technology. She hopes the early exposure to technology will shape students’ future career paths.

“I want to ignite students’ curiosity and encourage them to explore the pathways that technology offers,” Fisher says. “This experience serves as the foundation upon which they can build and further their technological pursuits, especially into high school.”

Eighth grade student Eli Roupe says he has always had an interest in robotics, but hasn’t had a chance to really explore the field until this year. His areas of interest include AI, the use of robots for service work, and modeling with Legos. He plans to work in the high school Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) next year. Roupe was personally selected to present about the Robotics Club with Hamilton at the Licking Heights Board of Education’s March meeting. 

“Learning and exploring in the Robotics Club has been fun for me,” Roupe says. “My friends and I talk about what we can do with the 3D printer, and that’s so cool. My friends love the waffle fidget toys we make.”

Robotics Club is one of the ways Heights middle school students are using the school Fab Lab, a hands-on space for STEM learning experiences. Licking Heights Middle School is currently pursuing STEAM designation through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW).

Hamilton says that club advisors developed flow charts that hang on the Fab Lab walls so students understand the steps involved in using the 3D printer. Students are taught how to use Tinkercad, a free online printing software. 

The club also uses the 3D printer for different classroom and community projects, including creating a sedimentary rock layer tool for science classes, a miniature Roman Colosseum for social studies, and gifts for the School Board.