Service-Learning students Nolan Fernandez and Jen Viola volunteer under the guidance of BCC Engineering faculty, John Tatro and Crosby School-Community Coordinator, Donna Baker, to bring Lego Robotics to 4th graders every Wednesday at Crosby Elementary School in Pittsfield.

Now in his second semester teaching these young students and a Student Leader at BCC, Nolan reflects, “This is a great way to pass on what I know to these kids. I have learned to have more patience and understanding as a result of this project. I like being able to create a atmosphere where we all can learn and work with each other.” Not an easy task when faced with a group of kids at 4pm who have been in school since 8am. But Nolan says, “The kids really enjoy it. What I think they like most is being able to control the robot. They have an idea, tell the robot how to do it and then watch it happen. It’s a rewarding experience for everyone involved.” Based on student reflections, both the elementary school and college students benefit from these mentoring programs by gaining an increased sense of self-efficacy and student engagement.