30 FEBRUARY 2024 By Mallory Gleich In March 2023, AHS Principal Janelle Danskey found out that the Robotics Team was working out of an electrical closet and didn’t have the equipment needed to operate at the same levels as their competitors. She also learned that students were buying their own 3D printers to make parts for their robot. After discovering this, Danskey got to work. With help from community and parent donations, Arcadia High is now home to a brand-new robotics lab that officially opened in January. The lab is housed in a room originally designed to be a computer lab. It houses a maker space for construction, a collaboration space for design engineering, and tables for students writing code to program and operate the finished robot. “Some of the 3D parts can take over 24 hours to print, and adding the lab gives students the tools and space they need to have a great experience competing over the year,” Danskey said.” We want to ensure that they have what they need to compete at a high level.” The Robotics Club is an after-school competitive activity that sees students putting in nearly 150 hours throughout the competitive season while building and programming a robot. They participate in multiple competitions. “What most people don’t realize is how complex it is to build a robot that can By Jennifer Marshall As a requirement, Brophy and Xavier College Prep students must participate in community service hours and projects during their freshmen, sophomore and junior years. These projects occur at myriad nonprofits around the Valley, including at an Arcadia organization called Saving Amy. Saving Amy is a grassroots nonprofit that started in 2015. The organization addresses the core cause of the cycle of homelessness, with all families receiving a Journey Partner Mentor who offers encouragement, guidance and accountability. “We provide a hand-up and help our families attain self-sufficiency to remain housed and employed. We have a 100 percent success rate, where all Saving Amy families continue to live in their own homes and are contributing members of society,” Marketing Manager Maria Rodriguez said. Saving Amy invests considerable time and resources in families to ensure they don’t end up back on the streets. “Healing takes time, and we walk with our families for three years to fully support their transition to everyday life. We have the time and ability to fully develop the emotional, academic, social and career skills the family members need to succeed,” Rodriguez said. Xavier and Brophy students gather community service hours at the nonprofit complete the tasks required in a competition, and then compete against other schools,” Danskey said. “Our students are learning to be engineers, computer programmers, marketers, machinists and leaders. Many who participate in Robotics go on to major and work in STEM-related fields.” The lab has storage and drawers to house tools and parts and plenty of table space for building and collaboration. The AHS Dad’s Club donated a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) Machine, and the school purchased several 3D printers and supplies. Every piece of furniture is on wheels so that students can move it easily to test and drive the robot while also creating the obstacles they will encounter to practice and troubleshoot. “In a typical competition, robots need to by tutoring and mentoring children. They form a relationship encompassing school, daily life, sports, families – every aspect of their young lives. “Often, the students continue service hours beyond the required amount because they have built strong relationships with the children they’re mentoring and truly care for them,” Rodriguez said. The students also worked at the annual Saving Amy Celebration fundraiser. After helping set up, the students greeted, checked in guests, helped with the auction raffle and cleaned up. “At Saving Amy, typically twice a week, we guide in fields such as education and social and emotional interaction,” Xavier juniors Macy Bonnett and Brooklynn Ritter be able to drive over and climb different obstacles, pick up items, and lift and place those items. What students have to design, build, and program the robot to do is really complex,” Danskey said. “The lab has changed the course of how we work and allows us to do so much more – design, practice, prepare, and also more space so that more students can join the club,” club member Vincent Trost said. The total cost for machines and materials was around $17,000. Through the support of tax credit donations from the community – which fund extracurricular opportunities for students, like free after-school tutoring and Saturday School catch-up – the school was able to purchase furniture and four 3D printers. “We are very grateful to our program said. “We mentor a 13-year-old girl and work with her to improve her grades and provide an emotional outlet for whatever she deems necessary.” Over the last couple of months, Macy and Brooklynn have bonded with the student and said that they share lots of laughter when they are together. “We find that we’re all helping each other in ways we never initially realized, and it’s so fulfilling,” Macy said. “My time volunteering with Saving Amy depended on where I was needed,” Brophy senior Race Bates said. “I spent almost all my time helping in the ‘kids-go’ program as a tutor and mentor for younger kids.” Race and a group friends were paired with fifth-eighth graders from around the Valley sponsors, mentors, and community for supporting our students’ endeavors. Because of them, we can provide these high-quality experiences at our school,” Danskey said. “Also, thanks to our team sponsors: SOAR, Arcadia Dad’s Club and the Diamondbacks.” Since FIRST Robotics released the 2024 Robotics Competition game, CRESCENDO, the Robotics Club has been hard at work. They meet four times a week and on Saturdays to research, brainstorm, prototype, test, and build a robot that will accomplish the most tasks defined at the tournament. The team’s first competition will be the Arizona East Regional on March 20 at Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe. National Robotics Week is April 6-13, 2024. firstinspires.org nationalroboticsweek.org who had minimal quality learning resources and support growing up. “That’s how it started at first. It was just tutoring until it wasn’t. After spending hours with the boys doing homework, playing basketball, and taking them to fun activities around Phoenix, our roles as tutors transcended this title,” Race said. “We became role models, friends, and a beacon of support the boys needed in their lives.” “The dedication and commitment shown by Xavier and Brophy students in fulfilling their service hours at Saving Amy and continuing to support the kids is truly commendable,” Rodriguez said. “Their involvement in organizing outings and spending quality time with the kids goes beyond the call of duty.” savingamy.org Arcadia High unveils new robotics lab Providing love, hope and friendship beyond a call to service The brand-new robotics lab at Arcadia High has storage and table space for building and collaboration, plus a CNC Machine and four 3D printers. PHOTO COURTESY OF JANELLE DANSKEY Brophy and Xavier students helped out at the annual Saving Amy Celebration fundraiser. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA RODRIGUEZ

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