Matthew Dares is the founder of the Inuvik Robotics and Engineering Club, which is heading into its sixth year this fall. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo

Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 7, 2017

INUVIK
The Inuvik Robotics and Engineering Club is gearing up for its sixth year this September, with ambitions of organizing a territorial competition between teams from around the NWT.

"We hope to compete at a territorial level as a robotics club, so that in a future year we might continue on to the national level," said Matthew Dares, founder and coach with the club.

But, first, it would require interest beyond Inuvik, with Yellowknife being a prime target, he said.

He added people from larger communities, such as Fort Smith and Hay River, may be keen to get involved as well.

The idea is simple: NWT teams would compete against each other and the winner would move on to face other provinces and territories.

While building capacity to bring a team to the nationals would require dedication and hard work, Dares said there are coaches available if students show interest.

This year, he expects five coaches will be involved in the club, which receives support from the Aurora Research Institute (ARI) and Skills Canada.

"It was originally just me and some kids doing electronics work," said Dares, whose background is in electrical engineering.

He started the club back in the fall of 2012 when ARI noticed a need for outreach in the STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and math.

In its first year, the club taught high school students about coding and how sensors work in cell phones.

"Since then, we've grown," said Dares, who describes today's club as a "collective effort."

The after-school program now offers students in Grades 7 to 12 a chance to try their hand at virtual reality, LEGO robotics, programming and 3D modeling, to name a few.

An underwater, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) has joined the club's set of gadgets as well.

Lane Voudrach, 15, has been involved with the Inuvik Robotics and Engineering Club for three years.

"It's fun," said the Grade 10 student, explaining he's been working on the underwater ROV as well as testing out the virtual reality equipment.

"A few of my friends are there, so I get to hang out with them while we learn a few things about coding robots," he said.

In today's world, students require digital literacy for many different jobs, said Dares, adding he sees an increasing need for those skills, especially with the satellite industry being in town.

"Programming as a whole is becoming a very strong focus for the types of skills kids need in a modern knowledge economy," he said.

"Being able to do basic coding, and understanding what the next steps are, how to manage data or how you might use data improves your ability to deliver increasingly valuable products as a staff member."

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