Joliet Cyborgs is the district robotics team under the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) academy. The team consists of students and mentors from Joliet West and Joliet Central. They work on their main project of building a robot, as well as attending community events, training new members, and improving their warehouse. They work at the JTHS administrative center on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

During meetings, members learn how to design, build, code, and cooperate in order to establish a final product. “I joined because I was curious and liked the idea that my coding skills will be useful somewhere,” said Cesar Mascote, one of the many students interviewed on the Joliet Cyborg website. The website features a ‘Cyborg of the week’, a student of the week system to highlight members of their team, as well as a section of the website dedicated to status updates on their robot.

The team goes to several events throughout the year and competes in competitions. Last year, the team went to the 2018 community exhibition, as well as the Pause for Patriotism event and the 2018 robotics competition. They do spend some of their time in the JTHS administrative center though, learning new code, designing structures, and assembling their robot.

Joliet Cyborgs is a great opportunity for anyone interested in technology and coding. Members have also said they enjoy working together as a team. “I have learned to talk more in public with more confidence in myself, I’ve learned to be a better worker in marketing and electronics, and how to become a better speaker overall,” said Lesly Reynoso, another student of the week featured on the website.

Overall, this team has done great work over the year and is open to anyone wanting a career involving coding, manufacturing, and design.