One Princeton middle school teacher used her grant to help enhance the robotics program at Clark Middle School for her eighth-grade students.

Jessica Zamora, a second-year algebra and robotics teacher at Clark Middle, was one of several Princeton ISD teachers who received grant funding from the district back in June. Overall, PISD provided $50,000 in project funding for a variety of different proposals.

Zamora initially submitted a grant proposal for additional robotics equipment to allow more students to experience robotics on campus. She previously had two full robotics kits, which could serve around 6 students, she said.

“Each kit is designed for three students, according to the company’s website,” Zamora said.

The robotics equipment Zamora uses is from VEX Robotics, and each kit comes with a controller for the robots, connectors, shafts and other parts needed to make the robot function.

With the $4,500 grant she received, Zamora said she was able to purchase an additional six robotics kits, more than tripling the number of students who could learn robotics simultaneously. Having the new kits allows students in her class to work with their own robot rather than having to share one or two robots with several students, she added.

“Each of them gets a chance to build, program and get their hands on the robots,” Zamora said. “Throughout the year, we get to create those obstacle courses. If building the robot is too overwhelming, they can build an obstacle course.”

For the full story, see the Sept. 1 issue of The Princeton Herald.