After participating in a September Futershaper event, the Phoenix Coding Academy Robotics Club is hard at work preparing for a March 2025 robot build competition (photo courtesy of Phoenix Union High School District).

On Sept. 8, students from the Phoenix Coding Academy participated in the D-Backs and Honeywell Futureshaper Robotics Program. Participating students built a Vex Bot that was responsible to pitch, bat and collect a foam baseball.

Phoenix Coding Academy recently relaunched its robotics program after one year hiatus and students and staff are very excited to have it back.

“We really push a lot of the accountability on the students. They are in the driver’s seat,” Max Moorman, English teacher and club sponsor said.

Phoenix Coding Academy’s Robotics Club has competed in the world championship in Texas three times with a track record of continued success. Each year brings new challenges that drive them to innovate and improve their designs.

Despite the difficulties of transitioning back to campus, Christopher Toledo, a student at Coding Academy, remains optimistic about the team’s prospects for the upcoming competition. “We won the regionals during my sophomore year in Los Angeles,” Toledo said.

“We’re still in our early stages, so there’s room for improvement,” said Antonio Gonzalez, a freshman.

While the club is primarily student-run, it occasionally benefits from professional guidance. The students receive visits and virtual sessions from industry experts and have recently gained valuable insights from an engineer.

“I think a big part of why I wanted to sponsor the club this year was try to get the club back here to the Coding Academy,” said Sho Kroeger, a science teacher and club sponsor.

“We really push a lot of the accountability on the students. They are in the driver’s seat,” Moorman said.

The students are determined to build a robot they can be proud of for competitions. They are dedicating extra time to the project, even adjusting their schedules to make it happen. On Fridays, which are not designated club days, they often choose to forgo other activities and ask their mentors to help them continue working on the robot. Their commitment reflects their passion and dedication to the project.

“As far as the future of the team goes, it is pretty bright,” Moorman said. The team ultimately took sixth place in the competition and will take some time rebuilding the team and preparing for their next competition in March of 2025.

Learn more about Phoenix Coding Academy, which is located at 4445 N. Central Ave., adjacent to Central High School, by visiting the Phoenix Union High School District website: www.pxu.org.

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