Revere High School’s technology department is implementing a new Robotics course to teach interested students about various engineering processes and applications.

The class, which is considered to be a Technology Education course, will be the first of its kind at the high school. RHS Technology Education teacher and Robotics team advisor Joseph Silvestri will teach the course. He explained the course’s beginnings.

“I have been researching this idea of a Robotics class for a little over a year now. When I began, I asked my Robotics team officers what they thought of the idea and if they thought there would be enough interest in it. The kids’ enthusiasm is what drove me to continue researching and to finally pursue the creation of the class,” Silvestri said.

The course will be one trimester long. During this time, students will utilize robot kits and free curriculum created by VEX Robotics to complete various lessons and assignments. Senior Nathan Peterman, president of the RHS Robotics Team, explained what students will do while in the class.

“The students will design, build, program and test their own robots. [They] will make robots that are roughly the size of a textbook that move around using wheels. Students will then program their robots to perform specific tasks,” Peterman said.

Silvestri described the atmosphere that he hopes to create in the new course.

“The class is going to be very much hands on [and will provide a] comfortable classroom atmosphere where students will be learning from both myself and their peers,” Silvestri said.

According to Silvestri, the class will have no necessary prerequisites, though an interest in subjects including math, science and engineering will be helpful.

Senior and Robotics Team vice president Alex Becker shared his reasoning as to why students should enroll in the course.

“I think students should sign up because they might end up loving it. At the very least, they will gain some insight into [a] rapidly-automating world and be better prepared for the future,” Becker said.

The class will be available beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. Depending on the success of Robotics I, a Robotics II course may eventually be available.