Avenues Robotics From Curiosity to a Growing Competitive Force

If you were to step into a high school gymnasium on any given Saturday to scores of people cheering, you might think you’ve just walked into a sporting event. There are teams, yes, there are shirts of varying bright colors to distinguish them. There’s a sense of camaraderie and excitement that comes with months of training. But what’s happening is a different type of gamesmanship, with collaboration, controllers, and a whole lot of wires. Instead, you’ve entered the niche, innovative, creative, world of robotics, where the competition is pretty fierce. Right in the middle, you’re sure to find an ever-increasing number of students representing Avenues New York.

Growing from a group of 10 enthusiastic middle grades students in 2018, Avenues’ robotics program has expanded to up to 90 Upper Division students across four teams. Curious about all things STEM and engineering and eager to explore the limitations and opportunities of automation, the group initially joined together as novice coders and eventually grew to become the competitive force it is today.

Robotics challenges are hosted across the city each school year, where student-constructed robots compete, driver-operated and autonomously, trying to score as many points as possible by moving a series of objects to a designated place. It takes a lot of tenacity and deep collaboration as students engineer the process behind the scenes.

Director of Robotics Steven Carpenter, an Upper Division science teacher, shares that team members often stay on campus working well into the evening and beg to come in on weekends. Team leaders can put in 20 hours a week, and that’s on top of meeting the demands of their busy school schedules.

“I think the biggest success of the program,” Carpenter says, “has been creating a community of kids who are really interested in robotics and engineering, and it really draws them into an engaging and educational program.”

With older students now offering workshops and mentoring younger students, the team is not only creating more leadership opportunities but also a welcoming space for anyone with the curiosity and the grit to compete.

With pink t-shirts, hats, and even capes, Avenues’ all-girls team Lovelace effectively shuts down the gender barrier that exists in robotics.

“The founders of the team gave girls a safe, encouraging space to explore engineering and develop their passions,” says alumna Natalia. “For us, it’s always time to put training and growing our skills first.”

To date, Avenues teams have earned numerous awards in the city-wide qualifier championship competitions, including the Design Award, Motivate Award, Think Award, and Winning Alliance Captain. In 2024, the Ruckus Robotics team advanced to the FIRST World Championships in Houston, Texas, competing against more than 200 of the best teams in the world. The Ruckus Robotics team finished 6–4, earning 27th place in their division.

“If I had to summarize that in one word, I’d say awesome,” says alum Zenchang.

Starting small, the middle grades students who once expressed a keen interest in robotics and engineering have created an engaging educational program and a warm and ebullient community along with it.