The Kirkland Interfaith Network awarded five full scholarships to Kamiakin Middle School that will pay for five students to sign up for the after school robotics group.

The robotics group utilizes Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 and EV3 robots as well as laptops to program them. They are accessible to middle school students  and provide an excellent introduction to problem solving and programming. Kamiakin Robotics Group, an after school program at Kamiakin Middle School, includes 29 students.

During meetings, students run through a progressive series of challenges following the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy curriculum, participate in the FIRST robotics competition, do challenging robot wars and more.

This year, the group will also offer programming. The cost is $100 per semester to participate, and many families find the cost to be an issue. The program aims to change the lives of students through inspiration. It is a fun offering in an area flooded with Google and Microsoft employees. In addition to the program’s cost, robots cost approximately $350 each and laptops are $300.

The scholarships from the Kirkland Interfaith Network will enable Kamiakin students to access technology. For more information about the Kirkland Interfaith Network, visit www.kirklandinterfaith.net.