Governor Maura Healey Meets Students at MIT Admissions Booth

A new student club at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) composed of FIRST Robotics alumni is working to promote hands-on STEM education enrichment for K-12 students. As part of these efforts, MIT students participated in the inaugural United States Governors Cup in Washington, D.C., a competition featuring high school robotics teams from all 50 states.

During the event, the MIT team demonstrated a robot named Timbot, which the students constructed in three days. The robot is designed with an intake system that funnels yellow foam balls into a hopper before shooting them at a target.

The demonstration provided an opportunity for experiential learning when Timbot encountered technical difficulties. The robot experienced Wi-Fi issues, requiring the MIT team to troubleshoot the system while sitting on the floor of the venue.

As the students worked to resolve the connectivity problems, high school competitors gathered around the team to ask questions regarding the robot’s subsystems and wiring. Once the technical issues were resolved, Timbot resumed its operation of scooping and throwing foam balls.

The event also facilitated professional networking and mentorship between students and industry experts. For example, student Angelina Kwiatkowski discussed the building process with Bryan Murphy, an associate chief engineer at The Boeing Co.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey attended the event and visited the MIT Admissions booth. While there, Governor Healey met with a group of students and MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill.

The presence of the MIT students and their robot at the Governors Cup served as a bridge between collegiate engineering and high school STEM competitors, illustrating the troubleshooting and design processes central to robotics competition.