San Jose's Foothill High School students aren't your typical teenagers who win national awards. Many of them have had trouble at home or at school; some have had trouble with the law.
Robotics coordinator Jeneva Westendorf (right) and her team of Botball champions.
But that didn't stop the continuation students from taking top honors at the 2001 National Botball Tournament at the American Association of Artificial Intelligence conference in Seattle in August. Botball is a competition where students construct small, computerized Lego robots that manipulate objects on tabletops. Forty-seven student teams competed, including three other East Side Union High School District teams.
Last year Foothill students placed first at the U.S. First Competition in Orlando, Fla., a competition that requires larger robots to manipulate balls on a playing field.
In both competitions, Foothill was the only continuation school to send a team.
"When people found out we had won, they said, 'Really? Those guys?'" recalls Jeneva Westendorf, who taught this year's winning team and serves as the coordinator of robotics for the district. "We're one high school in a district of 11 high schools. If other high schools have kids they can't manage, they send them to us. These kids just didn't fit into a traditional setting. They needed more attention."
The first time Foothill students won, some considered it a fluke. After the second win, they were convinced something was going right at the school. Indeed, the Foothill High School students had found motivation.
The class in advanced science/robotics was developed by Westendorf, a member of the Eastside Union High School District Teachers Association. Aligned with the state standards, it is actually an introductory class to computer programming, electrical and mechanical engineering concepts, and physical science.
"These competitions have put these kids in a position where they never thought they'd be," says Westendorf, who has taught at Foothill since 1993. "They feel really good about themselves. They are looking forward - instead of not giving a damn whether they live or die. They plan on going to college. They say, 'If I can do this, I can go to college.'"
Most of this year's winners and last year's winners have, in fact, gone on to college. Four of last year's winners now attend UC campuses. Most former winners are no longer in trouble with the law.
While some teachers find it difficult to teach continuation students, Westendorf says they have been a "gift" and an inspiration for her. "They have had so many adverse things happen to them," she says. "They have had all forms of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They have abused alcohol and drugs. They have been in trouble with the law. They have had children. And, yet, they have a special spirit about them.
"These are some of the brightest and most creative kids I have ever worked with," she continues. "They just learn differently. They can't sit in little rows. For various reasons, they need more attention than other students. They are kinesthetic learners. They want to use their hands to create and build. Robotics has been an avenue for these kids to shine."
For this year's first-place Botball award, students constructed Lego robots weighing about 5 pounds, powered by mini-computers and batteries. Modeled after the Mars Rover, which was sent into outer space, the robots were programmed to play a ball game for 90 seconds - without remote control.
Terry Grant, a NASA electrical engineer who worked on the space shuttle, assisted students with the project. The school has also been extremely supportive of the students and provided funding for them to attend the competitions. "At Foothill we don't have a football team or extracurricular activities," says Westendorf. "This is our football team. People were cheering them on. We love these kids."
The kids love her, too.
"She doesn't give up on her students," says Chris de Guzman, a Botball winner who now attends San Jose City College and plans on majoring in electrical engineering. "She has lots of patience and cares about her students. She believes in us. She's a great teacher."
Winning the competition, says Guzman, has inspired him to stay out of trouble. "We spent a lot of time on Saturdays and after school working on this," he explains. "We didn't have time to get into trouble."
"It changed my life around," says Jose Sierra, a Botball winner who attends Evergreen Junior College in San Jose and plans on becoming a digital media design specialist. "Before, I really didn't care about school. But when I joined the robotics class, it gave me something to get excited about. I learned to appreciate school. Mrs. Westendorf kept our hopes up - and kept us dreaming higher. We will never have an experience like that again."
Angie Macias, a high school senior who served on both winning teams, got into the program for extra credit, and found it a learning experience that will influence her for life. "I learned programming, team work and dedication, along with team spirit. I learned that good stuff comes from hard work."
During the Botball competition in Seattle, she recalls being nervous and scared. "We were sitting there as one of the last four teams to be eliminated. We had butterflies. Mrs. Westendorf was crying because she was so happy for us. It was incredible when we won.
"We have surprised a lot of people. It feels good. Mrs. Westendorf taught us that we can accomplish the same things as kids at other schools - and more."
Robotics coordinator Jeneva Westendorf (right) and her team of Botball champions.
