Canada's First Black Youth Robotics Team Launched

By Neil Armstrong

Some members of the ACCN TECHTRONIX, Canad's first black youth community robotics team. Photo contributed

A group of 25 youth – members of Canada’s first black youth community robotics team – will enter the 2018 FIRST Robotics international competition this spring and needs the help of the wider community.

On February 12, the African Canadian Christian Network (ACCN) partnered with FIRST Robotics Canada (FRC) and Microsoft to launch the team at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Earlier that day some members of the ACCN TECHTRONIX team, joined by their parents and mentors from the university were on Breakfast Television to demonstrate the operation of their robot.

“To think that it only took five weeks to put that robot together, it’s incredible. It shows you what teamwork does, what mentoring does and it’s just a great effort and great achievement,” said Tom Duever, dean of Ryerson’s Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science.

On January 6, NASA announced the 2018 Build Challenge giving teams around the world six intensive weeks to build their robot.

The students were trained and mentored by Joseph Amankrah, technical instructor at the university, and engineering students of Ryerson’s Rams Robotics and Formula SAE teams in robot-building.

“It’s a joy to see these young minds open up to learning new things. It’s a privilege to work with them,” said Amankrah, the team’s lead coach.

Since January, the team has been learning Solid Works, a CAD modeling software; coding, algorithms, and machine shop work as they plan, design and build the robot.

They have been meeting at the university on Saturdays 10m-8pm, Sundays 1pm-6pm and on Wednesdays 4pm-8pm.

“Black students participate in robotics competitions in school, but to have their own community team is powerful,” said ACCN Chair, Reverend Alvin Nicholson. 

An ACCN TECHTRONIX member at work on the design of their robot.  Photo contributed

Maria Muiruri, 13, of St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School, said she already had a little bit of experience in robotics and thought it was a cool thing to do so she joined the team.

During the summer she went to a camp through her school board where they built a robot and she did a coding program at the public library.

“I’m excited to see how the robot does and fingers crossed we may get to nationals and internationals. But really I’m just glad that we all got to come together as a group and really work hard to build this robot. We’ll just know that we did everything we could in our power and we’ll be proud of ourselves either way.”

Aki John, 14, of Neil McNeil High School, said his mother thought it was a good idea for her sons to become involved in building a robot.

“I thought it was a good idea because we could start building robots and I learnt a  lot about how to build robots, and I think it will help me in my future.”

His brother, Ocean, 15, of Higher Marks Educational Institute, said the opportunity gave him skills for choices in life and having learnt about building, if he wants to be an engineer it might be good for him.

“It’s amazing because I personally always wanted to know how a robot is made and me finally being a part of it, it’s like a dream come true. Finally putting effort into something for so long you’re kind of excited to see how it’s going to be like in real life and I’m very excited,” said Anu Oshodi, 11, of Beverly Acres Public School.

She loved the mixture of girls and boys on the team noting that “girls could do exactly like guys do and guys could do exactly what girls do cause they’re all equal; no one’s higher, no one is lower, it’s equality.”

She said robotics is a good thing to learn to know about prospects in the future but although she wants to be a businesswoman or a lawyer, it was good to get her hands dirty.

Her mother, Veronica Oshodi, said there are less women in the science field so for Anu it is a huge opportunity because it will help to hone her skills in sciences at school.

“What she has learned here so far at the robotics with ACCN it has boosted her confidence and she has taken it back to her school. She tells her friends about all the tools, all the parts that she assembles together with her team. It will create a career path.”

She said coming from Nigeria to Canada is a huge plus for providing this opportunity which they would not have had in Nigeria.

Nadine Lewin, whose 15-year-old son is a part of the team, said he went through a lot of the regular angst and lack of direction as a young black male growing up in a single-parent home.

“We were unbelievably blessed when a member of ACCN saw potential in him and brought him into this program. And in the six weeks I’ve seen my son go from completely scattered to so unbelievably focused.”

He didn’t want to go to school in grade 9 and during the second week of being on the team told her that maybe he will go to George Brown College, and then recently he told her that maybe he will go to Ryerson and take the engineering program.

“It’s a complete 180 from where he was at the beginning of this program. I don’t even think that the ACCN, Ryerson or the mentors truly understand what they’ve done for my son, what they’ve done for me,” she said, noting that her parents are happy to see the breakthrough. 

Another ACCN TECHTRONIX member being mentored by a Ryerson University student on the use of the equipment in the engineering department.  Photo contributed

Cheryl Lewis, executive director of ACCN, said TECHTRONIX was created to nurture black youth’s pursuit of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers, and to demonstrate to them that they have what it takes to be at the STEM table.

ACCN has launched GoFundMe and Canada Helps fundraising campaigns to help the team prepare for the competitions ahead.

The ACCN is a network of black churches working with communities, government and institutions to improve life outcomes for black youth and families since 2006.

To date, through its highly successful education program, ACCN has secured more than $18 million in scholarships and financial aid for talented black students to attend top independent schools in Toronto. They have also created a mentoring program for the students to give back to their community.

A demonstration of the robot at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Some of the ACCN TECHTRONIX team members  who were at the launch of their robot at Ryerson University in Toronto.

 

[This story has been published on the Gleaner's website www.gleanerextra.com.]