TAMPA, Fla. — Phoenix Robotics is a student-run company based at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa. 

The group recently competed in an international robotic competition, which required companies to give back to their communities in some way. 

Phoenix Robotics students say they knew exactly what they wanted to do: Hold a summer camp where they can share their love for robotics and engineering with kids.

They partnered with the Caribbean American National Development Organization (CANDO) to create the summer camp. 

“What we are seeing is that all of the kids are fully, 100% engaged," said CANDO Inc. executive director Francis Joseph. “We are full participation — very excited. The feedback we’re getting from the parents is very positive, liking what we’re doing in giving that opportunity and want to see more of it.”

Kristofer Gajabharsingh, a rising junior at Brooks-DeBartolo, is the chief marketing officer for Phoenix Robotics. Gajabharsingh explained how the students in the summer camp used Lego-like materials to build their own robots. 

“Right now, what I have them doing is saving astronauts, picking up samples, and placing satellites like real Mars rovers do in Mars,” he said.

Gajabharsingh said the students were completing various missions in a Mars simulation to learn all about robotics and engineering in the summer camp.

“We partnered with CANDO as a way to introduce these young kids, who know nothing about robots, and make them into young engineers for the future," he said. "So they have — these kids have no idea what they want to be when they grow up and this gives them an idea of what they might want to do.”

The campers not only built their robots, but also wrote the code for them to complete their missions.

“The astronaut they’re rescuing because he was stuck on the planet, the rock is a sample to see if it’s safe to live on the planet, and these two pom poms right here are the satellites,” said Gajabharsingh.

All of the kids were excited for their missions, and Gajabharsingh’s goal was to show them how they can turn this fun activity into a career when they grow up.

“You can make whatever you want, that’s the true meaning of engineering,” he said. “You can do what you want, how you want it, however you want to do it, and that’s what I want to make these kids understand as well.”

Gajabharsingh said that seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when the robots they created complete a mission is inspiring — and being able to share his love for engineering with future engineers is what this camp is all about.

“One of the things I love seeing is just them grow, like, from the beginning they’re all quiet and they don’t know anybody, but then the last day I see them, they amaze me, they’re vibrant they’re working all together like today,” he said. “I’m just amazed by them.”

In June, Phoenix Robotics competed in the MATE ROV competition. 

It’s an underwater robotics challenge with competitors from countries around the world. Phoenix Robotics took 17th place out of 79 teams.