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Bemidji students, coach and booster club highlight VEX robotics program and call for summer camps and mentorship
Summary
Coach Brian Anderson and student members of Bemidji’s VEX robotics program told the school board Aug. 17 that the program served more than 70 middle and high school students last year, supported 11 competition teams and seeks expanded mentorship, summer camps and elementary outreach (VEX IQ).
Coach Brian Anderson and members of Bemidji’s VEX robotics teams presented to the Bemidji Public School District board on Aug. 17, outlining program structure, accomplishments and plans for expansion.
Anderson said the program’s “success comes from three key groups working together: myself, the coach, our dedicated students, and the booster club.” He described VEX/REC competitions as a vehicle for STEM learning and soft skills development and said last year the program served more than 70 middle and high school students and supported 11 competition teams.
Student speakers described personal benefits. Senior Eric Bittman, who said he has competed locally, at state and at world championships, credited the program and coach Anderson for opening college and internship paths and for helping him “find what I wanna do going forward out of high school.” Ninth-grader Nico (no last name given) said he has attended the world championship twice and valued the program’s flexibility to balance athletics and robotics. Freshman Jared Alston said VEX allowed him to continue multiple activities and helped him develop “communication, leadership, and problem solving.”
Martin Shraga, a booster-club member who also coaches, described the Booster Club’s financial role: covering equipment and travel costs (he estimated events cost at least about $100 per team and said the club sends four to seven teams to many competitions). Shraga said the group would like to develop a mentoring system pairing high-school students with middle-school teams, offer summer camps to accelerate off‑season preparation and explore running a signature event to increase regional participation.
Board members responded positively and thanked the students, coaches and Booster Club for their support. No formal board action was requested or taken; board members encouraged staff and volunteers to coordinate with district administrators on logistics if they pursue summer camps or expanded programming.
