This summer, Princeton Day School is introducing an exciting new opportunity for high school students with a passion for engineering, innovation, and technology. This four-day intensive workshop is designed to give students hands-on experience in robotics while helping them build skills for the 2026-27 VEX V5 Robotics Competition.
Led by Computer Science & Innovation Department Chair Justin Sheehan, the program was created due to the number of students interested in mechanical engineering. He explained, “We realized students were interested in mechanical engineering. There are lots of clubs and teams available in PDS, but we needed a space where students could dive deeply into the topic. By spending minutes building and learning the platform, students are able to construct a deeper sense to be a part of the team and ultimately, the depth of this experience will give a chance for students to see if this is their passion.”
Mr. Sheehan encourages all students to participate, regardless of their experience. His goal is to provide experience for students who don’t have as much exposure throughout the year, making sure everybody has an option to check it out. He explained, “Sometimes we don’t know if we’re excited about something until we dive into it.”
Beyond robotics, Mr. Sheehan also believes that the workshop prepares students for a rapidly changing environment revolving around artificial intelligence. “AI is going to be incredibly important,” he stated. “Over the next couple of decades, we’re going to see explosive growth in the robotics industry. Now is a great time for students to build that skillset.”
A typical day in the program will focus on learning basic skills and techniques for solid construction, as well as building. The workshop could also inspire students to get involved with the Robotics club, sign up for related classes, or join the competition team.
Junior Aryan Kunwar is eager for this opportunity in the summer because he wants to be surrounded by students with similar goals. As someone with a passion for building, he said, “I’m excited to meet unique minds with similar ideas. Being in that environment brings me closer to my personal goals, and I’m excited to learn about the new technology at this workshop.”
Furthermore, sophomore Raghav Vajpayee said the workshop will help him gain the skills and experience needed to perform better in the competition. When asked about what he is most excited for in this workshop, he mentioned, “I’m excited to learn about building separate components of the robot and building the Hero bot.” The Hero bot is a foundational robot created by VEX Robotics used for competitions. It serves as a starter model to help teams learn the basic functionalities of the robot’s capabilities, and game mechanics. He added, “This summer workshop is a stepping stone for next year. Hopefully, our team continues to improve and place in the competition.”
Without any prior experience required, the PDS Robotics Summer Workshop offers an amazing and creative approach for students to bond and explore engineering before the season begins. Students that are interested in the workshop can visit the PDS Summer Programs website for registration and more information.
