Santa Maria High relaunches robotics team; students set to compete Dec. 20

Principal Steve Campbell told the board that Santa Maria High School has launched a new robotics program this year and introduced teachers and student members who have been building and preparing robots despite limited resources.

"We did have a group of students come... and wanted to get it going at Santa Maria High School," Campbell said, introducing advisers Anthony Canongo and Guadalupe Baragon and describing a practice space in campus portables. Adviser Anthony Canongo told trustees the program has about 20 students divided into five groups and that the team’s first official tournament is scheduled for Dec. 20, with a larger event at Cal Poly on Jan. 17.

Students described learning by doing: building parts, learning coding and safety protocols, and participating in scrimmages with other district schools. One senior said the club improved communication and collaboration skills and helped members try new technical work such as cutting metal with appropriate protections. Another student explained the game format: "...you pick up the balls, you score them...you work with another team and form an alliance," describing how alliances score points during matches.

Trustees praised the program’s role in developing problem-solving and teamwork skills and thanked advisers for creating the opportunity. The board’s recognition followed public-school student reports earlier in the meeting highlighting extracurricular successes across the district.

No formal action was required; the presentation served as a demonstration of expanded CTE and extracurricular offerings at Santa Maria High School.