PATH To Domination, The Pathway School’s robotics team, was formed in the summer of 2022 as part of Pathway’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming. Mr. Quijas, Pathway’s STEM Coordinator, leads the team, along with other program staff, in conjunction with Pathway’s robotics classes. The team provides special education students with the same opportunities for competition and learning that are available to neurotypical students.
The robotics team competes in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Robotics Competition. Our inaugural team in 2023 won their first competition in a FIRST Mid-Atlantic district event and also received the Rookie All-Inspiration Award. In their second district competition, the team qualified for the District Championship hosted in Bethlehem, PA and received a Rookie All-Star Award. This award celebrates the rookie team that exemplifies a young but strong partnership while adopting the mission of FIRST Robotics to encourage students to learn more about science and technology. Qualifying for the District Championship was one of the team’s goals for their inaugural season, and they finished their season strong as one of the only special education teams to compete at this event.
The team meets daily to learn about robotics, build and modify the competition robot, and focus on teamwork, team building, collaboration, and developing social skills. The team also works together on strategy and fundraising for the team. Robotics competitions are about more than just scoring points; they’re about learning, building alliances with other school’s teams, working within a community, and so much more.
Thank you to the supporters and sponsors of the team and program including the Gene Haas Foundation, BAE Systems, Boeing, DOW, NASA, Corbett Inc., and several private donors.
Would you like to become a sponsor and take part in PATH To Domination’s incredible success? Click here and select your sponsorship level to help pay for team supplies, competition registration fees, travel expenses, and more. For more information, contact communications@pathwayschool.org or click here to visit the team website!