TACA Community Robotics celebrates STEM expansion

Allendale Machinery and TACA Community Robotics recently held a celebration at Mountain Lake Park in Warwick, marking a year of expanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education opportunities within the community.

TACA Community Robotics started its mission last August to expand coding, robotics, and STEM education in Orange County and beyond. According to the organizers, the celebration “demonstrated to the participants what is possible with a community effort.”

As part of the celebration, a $1,500 Gene Haas Foundation grant and an Altice USA grant for $1,000 were given to the TACA Community Robotics teams, accompanied by the donation of two 3D printers by Allendale Machinery Systems.

Participants also enjoyed a demonstration of the FLL Lego programmable robot and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) program, providing a glimpse into the world of advanced robotics and technology. The evening also featured an introduction to the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program, offering a preview of the new challenge for TACA Community Robotics.

Notable guests included Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer, and Warwick Village Mayor Michael Newhard.

This student engagement was made possible through the support of the organization’s 501(c) community status, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. With the addition of a Robotics Playgroup for ages 4 to 6 after last year’s focus group, TACA Community Robotics now serves students from ages 4 and up, offering robotics programming at all levels. In addition, they are actively fundraising to construct a “community maker space,” and are working toward offering workshops and internships for community members at their Mountain Lake Park location.