Bucks Robotics students show automation chops, say lack of permanent field hampers practice

Angelina Vaughan, the Bucks Robotics team captain, and teammates described a year of designing, building and coding robots for VEX competitions and emphasized the program’s student‑led nature. "So we are the Bucks Robotics team at the VHS," Angelina said; teammates explained the technical and teamwork skills they gain and showed photos and videos from regional competitions.

Students said they self‑fund through community activities — including running Girl Scout badge workshops — and recounted improvising a lift mechanism on the day of a competition when a key part was left at school. "One of our robots forgot half of the stuff at school, so we had to improvise last minute," a student said, describing how the team designed and coded a gear‑driven lift that worked after a match or two.

Committee members praised the program and asked about a permanent field. Students and staff said a full 12x12 regulation field is hard to store on campus and suggested town or recreation facilities as possible solutions; presenters said they make do with modular pieces and a homemade field for practice.

School leaders and parents highlighted the team’s role in recruitment and in connecting STEM class instruction to extracurricular practice. The committee encouraged the team to identify grant and local funding sources and to return with specific facility requests if desired.

Next steps: students and coaches will follow up with the committee about possible locations, funding opportunities and how the district might support a reusable practice field or storage solution.