A growing robotics program at St. Mary’s School in Estevan is helping students build confidence with technology while developing problem-solving and collaboration skills that will serve them well into the future.
The program is led by Coline Smetaniuk, a teacher at St. Mary’s School, who launched the initiative after receiving a Teacher Innovation Grant. “I love this program,” said Smetaniuk. “The robotics clubs have been a lot of fun, and many students have shown interest in continuing to develop the skills and knowledge they have learned.”
Now in its second year, the initiative has become a regular part of learning at the school and continues to gain momentum as students advance through the program.
A Continuum of Learning From Kindergarten to Grade 8
Smetaniuk said the main goal was to create a system that grows with students instead of offering technology as a one-time experience. “What I’ve done is bring in a continuum of systems that students can use from Kindergarten all the way up to Grade 8,” she said. “They can learn and then build on those skills every year.”
St. Mary’s uses three tiers of the VEX Robotics program: VEX123, VEXGo, and VEXIQ, each designed for different age groups and skill levels. “If technology and robotics are only taught as a one-off activity, it doesn’t really go anywhere,” Smetaniuk explained. “But this program really does create a system where students are continuously developing skills.”
Preparing Students for an Uncertain Technological Future
Smetaniuk believes introducing robotics early is increasingly important as technology continues to change the workforce. “The skills these students are learning will help them to find success in their uncertain technological future,” she said. “They already need to be ready for an environment that nobody really knows what it’s going to look like yet.”
The VEX Robotics program extends well beyond the classroom. VEX also hosts a world robotics championship each year, bringing together teams from around the globe. While St. Mary’s students have not yet competed, Smetaniuk said she hopes it could happen in the future. “They keep evolving,” she said. “The company is always developing new technology and new ways for students to learn.”
The program used at St. Mary’s is distributed in Canada by Idesign 365, the licensed distributor for VEX Robotics.
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A Passion Project for Teacher and Students Alike
Despite having limited experience in coding before starting the robotics program, Smetaniuk says her enthusiasm quickly grew. “I was overwhelmed by the program when I first saw it, but in a good way,” she said. “It just appealed to me so much.”
She credits the global VEX community for helping provide ongoing support. “There’s a huge community of teachers using this all over the world,” Smetaniuk said. “Everybody is just willing to help. It’s such an open community.”
Smetaniuk hopes that sharing the success at St. Mary’s will inspire other schools and divisions to explore similar opportunities. “I would really like to share its success publicly so that more school divisions become interested,” she said. “Robotics should be able to reach more students.”
