The Average Joes hold their yearly Joe Expo

The Average Joes, the robotics team, recently hosted their yearly Joe Expo, on May 16, where they taught children from young ages about different aspects of steam and technology, encouraging attendees  to continue their long lasting legacy of hard work and persistence. Inviting all K-12 robotics teams from local districts, including those from Upton middle school and Bridgman, the Average Joes held a friendly competition between their creations. They also set up small stations of simple STEM experiments for younger students to follow, like oobleck and elephant toothpaste. 

“Our goal was to not only show young minds the cool experience, but also to explain the why behind each experiment,” Samaika Singh, 11 said. 

Through a season of resilience, The Average Joes attended four competitions. At their 2nd regional competition in Kentwood, they received an Impact Award, immediately sending them to States. From there, they earned it again, ending up at a national competition in Texas. 

Photo submitted by Atharv Saxena

Hank Fisbeck, 11 and Anthony Bacolor, 12 guide young K-12 students through STEM experiments, by not just showing, but explaining the why behind each phenomenon. “Around that, people could explore our Lego water table, create human-sized bubbles, and build water balloon launchers,” teammate Atharv said.

While the team had a successful season, they ran into challenges along the way. Unlike most robotics teams that start in August or September, the Average Joes start in January, creating a difficult time crunch to create a functioning robot. Due to their adaptability and determination, they were able to be strong competitors throughout their season. 

“We’ve built a reputation at home and internationally through outreach and success, so many teams at the World Championships come to meet the Average Joes,” Atharv Saxena, 11 said.