Students build and program robots at Whatsoever Community Center Robotics Club
Students in grades K-12 in the Northeast area are learning to command and build robots through the Whatsover Community Center Robotics Club, located at 1201 Ewing Avenue, Northeast News reported. The center provides year-round afterschool programming for families, focusing heavily on academic enrichment and student growth.
Senior Program Manager Cecilia Santacruz stated that academic success serves as a primary pillar for the facility. “For the afterschool programs, one of our priorities is making sure they are doing well at school,” Santacruz said. “After we know they are getting their homework done, that’s when we start doing activities.”
Origins and curriculum of the Ewing Avenue Robotics Club
The Robotics Club formed in 2022 after students showed an increasing interest in building with Legos. With the assistance of a coach, participants advanced their skills to learn coding languages such as Python, which led directly to the creation of the club.
The club operates on a 16-week curriculum that runs from the end of summer through mid-December, mirroring an academic semester. Students aged 9 to 14 meet once a week for two hours, plus one four-hour session per month on a Saturday. During these meetings, participants learn basic coding, conduct research, and construct robots using Lego kits.
As part of the program, students take part in a self-led research project to investigate a specific STEM problem and propose solutions. The participants then join the First Lego League, competing annually against other teams in their age divisions by solving real-world challenges through code, engineering, and research.
BIOGLOW theme follows annual competition shifts
Primary club coach Carly Ortiz explained that competition themes change annually to expose participants to different industries and global topics. Past challenges focused on electricity and solar power, ocean exploration through the “Submerged” theme, and archaeology through “Unearthed.”
There’s been like a working in a theater and all the behind the scenes that goes into putting on a play and like the technical mechanics,
Ortiz said. It’s just fun ways to build a robot, write code, and then kind of learn about different aspects of the world.
The 2026-2027 competition theme is BIOGLOW, which centers around the rainforest. This upcoming season also marks the final partnership between FIRST and Lego, concluding this specific competition format. Throughout the program, students focus on six core takeaways: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun.
Free STEM access in the Historic Northeast community
Santacruz noted that offering a robotics club distinguishes Whatsoever from other regional facilities. It’s a benefit to have this program at the Center because most community centers in the area don’t provide a Robotics Club, that is something that schools usually do,
Santacruz said. Participation in the program remains completely free for all enrolled students.
The club addresses a critical resource gap within the Historic Northeast community where local schools lack adequate funding for similar STEM programs. So this is kind of filling a need that students elsewhere receive through the school, but ours can’t,
Ortiz said.
Community involvement and hiring plans at Whatsoever
Local residents can participate in the program by serving as guest judges during student presentation practices. The center is also seeking to hire a new part-time robotics teacher to maintain the year-round commitment of the team.
Interested applicants can contact Cecilia Santacruz directly at santacruzceci0922@gmail.com for job details. Updates and event schedules are also available on the official Whatsoever Facebook and Instagram pages.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Whatsoever Robotics Club
What specific age group is eligible to join the Robotics Club?
The Robotics Club specifically serves students ages 9 to 14 through its 16-week curriculum, while the broader community center offers year-round afterschool programming for grades K-12.
How much does it cost for students to participate in the program?
Participation in the Whatsover Community Center Robotics Club is completely free of charge for all families in the area.
When do club members meet for practices and building sessions?
Students meet once a week for two hours during weekdays and once per month on a Saturday for a four-hour session.
Who should interested job applicants contact for the part-time teaching position?
Applicants looking to fill the part-time robotics teacher role can reach out to Senior Program Manager Cecilia Santacruz at santacruzceci0922@gmail.com.
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