Van Buren Public Schools is home to a growing, district-wide robotics program that introduces students from third through 12th grade to engineering, teamwork, leadership and real-world problem solving.

The current program was established almost a decade ago by Belleville High School teachers Aaron Lang and Aaron Watkins, both of whom as coaches continue to be driving forces behind the team’s growth. The program has also been continually supported by the district administration and superintendent Pete Kudlak.

Belleville High School did have a previous robotics team in 2011, but it lasted only one year. The school did not realize sustained success until Lang and Watkins resurrected the group as Team 6615, the “BelleVoxelBots,” in the 2016/2017 school year.In addition to the coaches, the robotics program got off the ground with the help of volunteer community members, like Vic De Libera, who helped mentor the team.

“It was amazing to see the kids’ growth in the first year,” De Libera said. “They went from learning the basics of ‘righty tighty, lefty loosey’ to programming a robot, understanding the mechanics of everything, assembling, programming and driving.”

De Libera mentioned several of the original mentors, including Gordon Clearwood, Jonathan Williams, Mark Laginess, Wade Fields, Bill Wolters, and Yogesh Sharma, who helped guide the team to two rookie awards – the Highest Rookie Seed Award and Rookie Inspiration Award – at the St. Joseph District event in 2017, their first ever entry in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

With the students showing great promise in their rookie year, the team decided to host a competition event that would get more people involved, and spread the enthusiasm throughout the district. Since 2018, Belleville High School has hosted an annual FRC district event, drawing 39 teams from the FIRST Michigan District, and thousands of spectators to the high-energy robot match where teams compete to advance to state and world championships.

The success of the high school team, which was renamed the “Bellevillains” in 2023, and the excitement generated by the district competition prompted Van Buren Public Schools to launch a FIRST Tech Challenge team, which allowed seventh- and eighth-grade students to participate. Former McBride Middle School music teacher Tim Miller was their first coach.

The district eventually established FIRST LEGO League teams at the lower middle and elementary schools. At present, the program includes third grade and up but hopes to include K-2 as well in the future.

These feeder programs have given the current high school team members the know-how to excel in robotics, with the team having achieved several recent successes, including division winner and overall second place at the state finals in April 2024, first place at the Renaissance district event in March 2025, second place at their home event in 2025, and even qualifying for the world championships in Houston, Texas, in both 2024 and 2025.

“Now we don’t have kids coming into the high school anymore who have never seen any of this,” De Libera said. “They’ve seen it in middle school, and now they’re going to middle school having seen it in elementary school.”

He explained that the elementary program focuses on building with LEGOs and learning the basics of STEM through themed challenges and teamwork, while the middle schoolers and high schoolers take a more hands-on approach at different scales.

Beyond STEM and engineering, the robotics program puts an emphasis on real-world learning through design, marketing, entrepreneurship, teamwork and other skills that help develop well-rounded individuals and prepare students for life after high school.

The Tigers Robotics Booster Organization (TRBO) is a 501c3 nonprofit formed in 2022 that is dedicated to supporting and expanding the district’s robotics programs.De Libera explained that TRBO has provided organizational and financial assistance and has led fundraising efforts that include business sponsorships and personal donations.

BHS students have also explored several business-based projects to raise funds for their program, something the FIRST organization values as part of an overall experience in preparing students to work in the real world.

“As FIRST founder Dean Kamen says, this is a competition where every kid has a chance to go pro,” De Libera said.

One of the program’s greatest strengths is its community involvement. From retired engineers to local business owners, many volunteers regularly give their time and expertise to support students’ success and push the robotics program forward, helping build a foundation and inspire future leaders. The coaching core of Lang and Watkins has also added teacher Kaylee Haisma, who manages the team’s logistics and marketing group; and lead mentor Jeremy Church, a retired Ford engineer, who has been the backbone of the mentor corps for the past several years. For more information about Tiger Robotics, visit www.tigerrobotics.net.