2026 High School Robtics

[twistsol]

Back to my home town last weekend to build the course for the robotics team. Unfortunately, they have changed the rules at the school and students who haven't completed a woodshop course and been certified on the tools are not permitted to use them. This meant that the adults ended up building all the pieces. It took less than half the time, but wasn't nearly as fun as getting to teach the kids about something to which they've never been exposed ... industrial arts.

Here is what we built and some of the wood has been around for 10+ years and is getting so full of screw holes it is almost unusable.

[Black walnut]

Sad that they would not allow an hour long safety briefing to let students use the power tools. I think in some ways we have become much too risk averse. No longer is a risk assessment and mitigation with education enough. Seems they want to eliminate risk, but that really isn't an answer. Instead of teaching people how to safely do dangerous things they are teaching that danger means full stop.

[capncarl]

They could likely cut the safety briefing time to less than 10 minutes by warning students that they could cut some fingers off! This would scare them, knowing they could hold and play their phones of other gaming things.

[capncarl]

That is really a spacious shop! It looks to be a mechanical arts facility more so than wood shop though. It’s sad to think that members of the school board are probably foaming at their mouths to “better utilize all that wasted space into something more useful”.

Twistol, looking forward to your updates on the robotic event,

[twistsol]

The robotics course is set up for practice in the auto shop because it has enough open space and the door is big enough to move the field elements out to the storage container they have in the parking lot when practice is over. They did recently replace the old Northfied table saw's with a pair of 5 HP Sawstops. One of which was non functional. Someone said it had been tripped a couple of times and they needed to order new brakes and blades for it.

In the second photo, you can see the trailer for the construction class in the background as well as the newly installed (2-3 y ears ago) spray room that has a fan so powerful you feel like you're about to be sucked up to the ceiling.

On the other side of the robotics course the metal working area has multiple plasma cutters and welding stations.

[twistsol]

This school still has metal, wood, auto and small engine classes. There is a construction course where the students build a house for sale over two school years and are exposed to every aspect of. The construction process.

Being a rural community there is also an outstanding agricultural program. In this town the school board would be crucified for trying to cut these programs.

[LCHIEN]

I don't think those classes or facilities are common anymore at most high schools.

[twistsol]

These aren't common anymore and nearly died away here as well. They didn't replace teachers in that department as they retired, the shops fell into disrepair and the public outcry, helped resurrect the programs.

[LCHIEN]

Is there a big show down day?
Kind of like the pinewood derby car races for the Cub Scout packs.

[twistsol]

There are two competitions this team is scheduled to attend. The first is the Lake Superior Regional March 3-7 in Duluth, MN. The second is April 1-4 which I believe is held in the twin cities at the university of MN. In 2024, They went to Nationals in Houston.

Below is a link to all the events worldwide below if you are interested and would like to attend one near you.
First Robotics Events

If you want an idea of what the competitions are like you can look at the First Robotics Web Sites.
First Robotics 2026 Season Info