Lynwood High School’s robotics program is a beacon of opportunity in a community south of Los Angeles, California. Many of the students will be first-generation college students. The school’s administration, students, and their families are invested in the robotics program’s success. These high school teams are part of more than 700 teams in the highly competitive Southern California region.

Launching the program wouldn’t have been possible without financial support. Grants, including funding from the Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc., helped cover equipment and competition costs, which are critical to a brand-new program with limited resources. “That funding was essential,”  said Steve Cline, a longtime educator and robotics coach. Going a step further, Cline said, “The support from the Lynwood Unified School District and Lynwood High School administrations has been critical to our success as a program, along with the generous contributions from community organizations like the Lynwood Partners Educational Foundation, which have also donated to our team.”

The robotics program has already drawn 22 students across five teams, most of whom are in Cline’s classes. The program is integrated into the school’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum, which has been shaping STEM education in the district for over a decade. Students learn and apply engineering principles and design and code robots for competition.

From Mentor to Robotics Coach

Cline never thought he would lead a robotics team, having spent 10 years teaching social sciences. In 2014, an unexpected turn led him into the world of STEM when his son’s robotics coach stepped down. Initially, he thought it was a temporary role, which has become a fulfilling decade of coaching and teaching. “VEX Robotics puts students fully in charge of their robots, designs, and engineering notebooks. That’s what makes the program so powerful.” After moving to California from Colorado in 2024 and beginning his first year at Lynwood High School, he’s excited to help launch a brand-new robotics team, sparking excitement and ambition among his students. 

While robotics teams are extracurricular, they’re a natural extension of what students learn in the classroom. “They’re building real-world skills such as writing Python scripts, engineering solutions, and problem-solving under pressure. The robotics team is where it all comes together.” Cline continues, “The competitions are addictive. Once students experience their first event, they’re hooked. They want to keep pushing themselves, improving their designs, and competing.”

A Bright Future

Cline’s main focus is helping his students gain confidence and experience. Robotics isn’t just about technology, it’s about igniting curiosity, fostering resilience, and showing students what’s possible when they put their minds to something. “When students write code and see a robot move, it’s powerful,” he said. “It captures their imagination in a way traditional learning sometimes can’t.”

Lynwood High School’s robotics teams continue to sharpen their communication, leadership, and engineering skills while competing in local and regional tournaments. Recently, team 90262D earned the prestigious Judges Award, which has brought immense pride and well-deserved recognition.  While only one team could receive this award, the judges said they wished they could have given it to the entire program, recognizing all the high school teams for their dedication and hard work this season. This award has ignited the students to continue working even though their competition season is over.

We celebrate these talented students for their incredible efforts and commitment to excellence in robotics.