The University Academy GryphonBots is a K-12 club where students not only learn about robotics and web development, but they also learn about business, design/art and engineering. The robotics club was created so students could have more ways to apply and explore technology.
Mr. Jordan Hadjian, the head of the robotics club and UA’s IT technician, started the club six years ago after teaching coding class for students in kindergarten through fifth grade at UA. He said he believed students could take what they learned to the next level through the GryphonBots.
“The [robotics] club is a creative space that has opportunities for almost any student to succeed. We will find everyone a role,” Mr. Hadjian said.
“It would be my dream to have STEAM education, as an alternate pathway at UA and every school. I believe that it doesn’t have to be exclusive,” Mr. Hadjian said. “It would be nice to give families/students a choice of which pathway they prefer.”
This March, the robotics club traveled to Chicago for the National Society of Black Engineers Convention for the first time. The NSBE Conference is an annual convention that allows thousands of attendees to promote the advancement of Black engineers. It is a four-day event that gives students from grades three through 12, along with college students and other professional engineers, an opportunity to come together to learn, share ideas, become better engineers and just have fun.
The UA robotics club also competes in multiple competitions throughout the year. Lower School students competed in the KidWind Challenge and the Fire Rocket Challenge. Middle School students competed in the TEN80 Racing Challenge and Fire Rocket Challenge, and the Upper School competed in the TEN80 Challenge, as well.
Lower School has three KidWind teams. Each team is a group of students that is required to design and create a functional wind turbine.
The TEN80 Racing Challenge is a face-to-face competition that allows students to create and race a 1:10 or 1:16 scale car that can act like an actual NASCAR or professional motorsports car.
The Fire Rocket Challenge is a competition where teams of three create and launch a rocket. The rocket must be able to reach an altitude of 400 feet and return to the ground within 30 seconds.
UA’s GryphonBots have also participated in different activities like Future City, First Lego League, First Tech Challenge, Battle of the Brains and much more.
The robotics club is a place for students to explore a wide range of roles and gain exposure to the different aspects of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Students also create a business enterprise to gain different types of sponsorships and raise money for other goals for the club.
Ameriah Marshall, a freshman at UA, has been in the robotics club since her seventh grade year. She was first recommended to the group by her friend and has been on the team ever since.
“I didn’t know exactly what STEAM was until the robotics club, and also there are different jobs in STEAM that I didn’t know about, which is my favorite part,” Marshall said.
Through the club, she learned that STEAM isn’t just about math or science, it’s about creativity, design and teamwork.
This is the first year the robotics club expanded into high school at UA, and any and every student is welcome to join. Reach out to Mr. Hadjian via email for more information. Tryouts forms for the 2025-26 school year will be made available in August.
