The Clubhouse here is hosted by an organization called Family Service, and is home to the Teen Tech Titans, a robotics team that competes in FTC (First Tech Challenge), a worldwide 2v2 robotics competition.
The Titans have drawn in members from around their Clubhouse to build robots using Solidworks (CAD software). The 3D CAD files youth members create are then printed to become components of the robots they build from scratch.
The robots are programmed using JavaScript to compete by executing a variety of autonomous functions in FTC tournaments.
Along the way, youth are learning how advanced code interacts with computer vision, odometry, and other autonomous functionality.
The Family Service team has made their site a leader in the local robotics scene. They have converted a garage into a scaled-up robotics
lab where a variety of complex engineering projects are facilitated. Their Clubhouse is also a host site for one of the league playoff competitions, further establishing their center as a hub for information exchange and mentor connections. The Titans now consistently make it to regional championships, and are one of the top robotics programs in their league.
Many youth members count their experience with the Family Service robotics programs as providing key skills and knowledge for career and college pathways:
- One member of the team for 3 years has learned multiple STEM-related skills, especially CAD development, fabrication, and public speaking. His determination for the team has helped him develop from a reclusive youth to team captain.
- Another member of the team for 2 years has learned coding, 3D designs, and ultimately showed a strong interest in graphic design (he currently serves as the visual designer for the team card, social media designs, and recruitment flyers).
- Yet another member has become a team mentor, who now attends St. Mary’s University with the help of a scholarship that the Clubhouse helped him obtain. They now teach robotics to team participants and onboard newer members during the competition year.
- Another team mentor began with the Teen Tech Titans in high school. Now he mentors at the next level under UTSA’s Rowdy Corps, and he eventually earned his computer science degree.
For more information, visit their site: https://theclubhousenetwork.org/locations/familyservice/