The Gunston School’s award-winning robotics team, the Honey Nut Gearios, recently traveled to Chestertown to lead an interactive STEM assembly for students in grades 5-8 at Kent School. Building on a season of competitive success, members of Gunston's Science & Engineering Club shared their technical expertise and passion for science, technology, engineering, and math through a series of hands-on demonstrations. The middle schoolers moved through five specialized stations, each designed to showcase a different facet of modern engineering and competitive robotics.

At the rocketry station, Blake Algier ’26 and Ben Joyce ’29 explained the physics of flight and the rigors of the American Rocketry Challenge, while Sasha Wilson ’29 and Sam Ellis ’29 led a session on computer vision. Kent students tested how smart cameras recognize objects using props like googly eyes and fake mustaches, gaining a practical understanding of sensors and servo motors. Connor Joyce ’26, Logan Brock ’28, and Maggie Lindsay ’29 provided a deep dive into the design and strategy behind this year’s competition robot, even giving the younger students the opportunity to take the controls and drive the machine themselves.

The engineering education continued as Jake Hanlon ’27 and Ben Perez ’29 walked students through the iterative process of building and testing a First Tech Challenge (FTC) robot. Meanwhile, the Lego Sumo station allowed students to explore the intersection of coding and mechanical design as they chose robots to compete in friendly matches. The atmosphere was electric as Kent School students cheered on the competitors and practiced their driving skills. The visit held special significance for Gunston student Lia Schut, a Kent School alumna who enjoyed reconnecting with her former teachers to share the advanced engineering skills she has developed at Gunston.