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Robotics and STEM

Tinkering Engineers

The path towards a passion for STEM starts early at Potomac. Curious minds are sparked through fun and intentional tinkering and engineering. 

Students have many opportunities to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math activities both in the classroom and in co-curricular activities. By building a student's tool box and STEM skill set, students will competently and confidently achieve technology standards and skills in exciting ways.

Champions

ROBOTICS TEAM TAKES SECOND AT WORLDS

The Upper School Robotics team 12H finished as division champions and advanced to the finals at the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas – the largest robotics competition in the world. They finished second in the world – a school and Virginia State record. The event was presented by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and the REC Foundation, and some sponsors include NASA and Google. Congrats to our robotics program!

Tech and Innovation

Tech and Innovation LS Robotics

BUILDING BOTS

Through teamwork, play, and problem solving, robots help students develop key thinking skills in the exciting field of coding and robotics. In K-5 technology classes, all students engage with VEX robotics through building and coding challenges. Students in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to join a competitive robotics team, offering a motivating environment to learn and push STEM skills to new levels.

What the vex?

By its nature, the study of robotics inherently incorporates all four pillars of STEM. VEX IQ is a snap-together robotics system designed to provide an opportunity for future engineers of all skill levels. Through incorporating advanced concepts into an accessible package, the system also naturally encourages teamwork, problem solving, and leadership.

Working with the VEX IQ platform gives the students a foundation in engineering design and programming at the Middle School age that will continue in the Intermediate School and directly translate to VEX Robotics in the Upper School. The VEX IQ platform introduces students to VEXCODE programming, which uses a standard coding system that can expand into Python.

Why Robotics?

Co-oper-tition and generosity of spirit

There is a term in robotics: co- oper- tition. It is preparing, training and doing your very best in a contest while also showing deep kindness and respect, to your opponent, especially when it matters. 

Our robotics program sent two teams to compete in the national finals of the U.S. Open Robotics championship. Both teams were well-prepared, skilled and highly competitive eager, to win the championship.  In that final match, one team- perhaps the stronger team, had a malfunction- their robot needed to be repaired and could not continue without a timeout. The team used a 30 second timeout, but unfortunately, they did not have enough time to make all the necessary repairs.

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Potomac Hosts Frostbyte Tournament
Potomac Hosts Frostbyte Tournament

Potomac Hosts Frostbyte Tournament
Potomac hosted 24 VEX Robotics Competition teams from across Northern Virginia and Maryland in our first state qualification tournament of the year. Teams 13A ACE (Erik Eggers ‘30, Veer Mathur ‘30, and James Schweitzer, ‘30), 13B 3 Big Guys (Will Cillizza ‘30, Ben Levin ‘30, and Jeevan Payeur ‘30), 13C Crossfire (Libby Campbell ‘30, Sofia Genter ‘30, Diya Iyer ‘30, Audrey Vorndran ‘30), and 13D 3 of Diamonds (Henry Feder ‘30, Drew Gudenberg ‘30, and Sina Mirali ‘30) all competed on Saturday. Each team secured a spot in the qualifying rounds, with team 13A earning a place in the State Tournament based on their Skills score. Many thanks to all of the US Robotics students who helped with setup on Friday evening and the many roles required to pull off a successful tournament. Enjoy photos! 

Potomac Robotics Competes at WAVE Signature Event
Potomac Robotics Competes at WAVE Signature Event

Potomac School teams 12A Absolute Zero, 12C Caffeine, 12S Syndicate, and 12Z Zap competed at the WAVE Signature Event at Worcester Polytechnic Institute from December 4–6, 2025. This event drew a highly competitive field of the best teams from the Northeast United States and Ontario, creating a fast-paced, high-level competitive environment.

Among the four Potomac teams in attendance, 12C Caffeine advanced to the elimination rounds, demonstrating consistent performance throughout the qualification schedule. Teams 12A, 12S, and 12Z gained valuable experience competing against a broad and diverse field, sharpening their strategy, execution, and on-field decision-making. The WAVE Signature Event offered an important mid-season benchmark for all four teams, highlighting both strengths and areas for refinement as they continue through the competitive season.

Robotics Competes at Glen Allen High Stakes Tournament
Robotics Competes at Glen Allen High Stakes Tournament

This past weekend, seven of Potomac’s Upper School robotics teams competed at the High Stakes Tournament at Glen Allen High School. All seven teams — 12A Absolute Zero (Helena Backus ’28, Woodley Bohannon ’28, Marissa McEwen ’28, Jasper Majeed-Hall ’28), 12C Caffeine (Santi Cangahuala ’27, Nikhil Kothari ’27, Julian Mankovsky ’27, Brayden Nelson ’25, Trevor Nelson ’27, Cole Peterson ’27), 12D Dinomite (Tami Aje ’25, Tony Diller ’26, Aiden Kaminski ’26, Sam Kim ’27, Lauren Lovallo ’25, Deven Tuladhar ’26), 12E Error by Design (Zane Amr ‘28, Esther Choi ‘28, Farrah Gardner ‘28, Hank Kelly ‘28, Imani Nzekwe ‘28, Susie Taylor ‘28)), 12F Finneas and Ferb (Caeden Demory ‘27, Patrick Joseph ‘28, Alex Kim ‘28, Hadley Scribner ‘28, McKenzie Watt ‘28, Evan Yu ‘28), 12X EclipX (Matthew Bodi ’28, Michael McIntyre ’28, Robert Murtagh ’28, Alex Runde ’28), and 12Z Zap (Jacob Cordero ’28, Quentin Toner ’26, Sophia Vilela ’26, Alejandra Villafuerte ’26) — advanced to the elimination rounds, showcasing their skill and preparation.

In the quarterfinals, teams 12X EclipX and 12F Finneas & Ferb put up a strong fight but were ultimately eliminated after competitive matches. Meanwhile, 12A Absolute Zero and 12Z Zap formed an alliance and faced off against other Potomac teams, eliminating 12E Error by Design in the Round of 16 and 12D Dinomite in the quarterfinals. 12C Caffeine defeated the alliance of 12A and 12Z in the semifinals, advancing to the finals and ultimately becoming Tournament Champions. 

Team 12C Caffeine also earned the Innovate Award, recognizing their effective and well-documented design process for a novel aspect of their robot or gameplay strategy. Team 12D Dinomite received the Design Award, which celebrates an organized and professional approach to the Engineering Design Process, project and time management, and team organization. 

Our K-5 Engineers Get Robotic

Ever wonder what goes on during K-5 robotics classes? There is certainly a healthy mix of cheering, tinkering, and strategizing! While Potomac has a K-12 robotics program, in the Lower and Middle Schools, robotics is a part of the tech and innovation curriculum – which spans technology, engineering, computer science, and Potomac’s life skills – it also includes our ETC program. Check out students' thoughts on problem-solving, collaboration, and perseverance.