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Katy ISD celebrates expanded Robert R. Shaw STEAM Center as student robotics teams head to world competition
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Summary
Trustees heard from students and staff about a new expansion at the Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM that adds bays, a garage area and equipment for robotics teams; district staff said the expansion will increase field-trip capacity and reach roughly 16,000 students annually. Several teams qualified for the FIRST Robotics world championship.
At its April 20 meeting, the Katy Independent School District board heard a presentation and saw a short video about the newly expanded Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM, which district staff said adds workspace and equipment for high-school robotics teams and increases the center's capacity for field trips and summer camps.
"Our mission is to inspire students to pursue STEAM subjects and careers," said Steve Adams, facility coordinator for the Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM, describing a new garage area, a CNC mill arriving this week and four new bays (numbered 9'12) that give each high-school robotics team dedicated space. Adams said the expansion lets seventh-grade field trips be full-day experiences rather than half-day visits and estimated the center now reaches about 16,000 students annually.
Student leaders from several schools described how FIRST Robotics has bolstered engineering, design and teamwork skills. "FIRST is more than robots," said Lucy Evan, a senior at Cinco Ranch High School and president of Kryptonite Robotics, who described serving as a design lead and credited the program with expanding her public-speaking and technical experience.
Adams told the board that six Katy ISD robotics clubs competed at the state championship over the past weekend, with several teams advancing to playoffs. He said Cinco Ranch's Kryptonite and a Freeman High School rookie team had qualified for the FIRST Robotics world championship in Houston, scheduled for April 29'May 2.
Board members and audience members praised parent and volunteer mentors who support the teams. During a brief question-and-answer period, Adams confirmed the world championship dates and noted the event is free to attend; students and parents described long hours designing and iterating robots and welcomed the district's investment in facilities that support that work.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; the item served as recognitions and public engagement with the district's STEAM and extracurricular programs.
