Following a huge popularity in robotics with slight logistical issues, computer science teacher Stewart Mayer found a solution.
Two brand new computer science classes will be added in the 2026-2027 school year, allowing robotics and engineering enthusiasts a chance to expand their knowledge and skill set.
In the Middle School, interest in robotics proved difficult to accommodate in an after school schedule.
“Our first Lego teams have been wanting to move on into higher, more difficult robotics programs, such as FTC,” Mayer said. “But it’s been a real struggle, because the middle school sports schedule basically prevents anything from happening after school until 6 p.m.”
In the eighth grade, Mayer will add a robotics computer science class, designed for students more interested in engineering aspects than traditional computer science. This class not only provides a new option for eighth graders, it also solves the logistical problem surrounding after school conflicts.
“It is an engineering based class that will include aspects of robotics, and so now eighth graders have two great choices to decide amongst,” Mayer said. “To decide between a more standard computer science curriculum, or a more engineering based curriculum.”
In the past, engineering options were limited to one semester courses. This year, Mayer created a full length engineering class to the curriculum for the first time. Engineering 2 serves as a follow-up, expanding into more advanced projects and concepts.
“So it’s very exciting that we kind of have an engineering tract that is being built, and hopefully students that wish to go into engineering will start taking these classes and get a lot of value out of them.”
With the addition of multiple new courses, Mayer can’t teach all of the classes by himself. Former Tesla engineer, and St. Mark’s Engineering/Science teacher, Kevin Fine will teach some of the classes as well.
“I’m very, very happy to have Mr. Fine here, who is so qualified to teach any or all of these classes. He and I, and potentially other teachers, will be dividing up the workload.”
Multiple teachers provide other advantages as well. Varying perspectives offer students unique opportunities to learn from qualified teachers.
“Every teacher has his or her own area of expertise and styles of teaching, and getting to experience that diversity from the student’s point of view, is nothing but positive,” Mayer said.
In the next school year, Mayer has two primary goals for his new courses. The courses are not inherently designed for students exclusively interested in college level or professional level engineering. By introducing more options into engineering, Mayer hopes to spark an interest in students who weren’t exposed to engineering in the past.
“So many times, students late in their student career will discover that they have a love and passion for engineering and haven’t had a chance to explore it,” Mayer said. “My hope is to get those humans in earlier, so they can discover their passions for engineering earlier, and follow it and pursue it throughout their high school and then college career.”
For the students who do excel in engineering, Mayer has different objectives. Classes like Engineering 2 can prepare students for more advanced engineering beyond high school. Students explicitly interested in difficult engineering courses now have options.
“My second hope is that the students who do want to do engineering in college, and as a profession, will take these classes,” Mayer said. “Because now we have higher levels of engineering classes available that will meet the needs of those students that know what they want to do and are looking for something more challenging.”
There isn’t a set national curriculum for engineering. And with the addition of several new courses, Mayer can experiment with new projects and ideas.
“We have the freedom to do really cool and interesting projects, and quite honestly, I like varying up the projects,” Mayer said. “If it’s fresh for me, it’s fresh for the students, fresh projects and ideas make it very exciting for everyone.”
