A $5,000 grant from Clow Valve is powering up the Oskaloosa High School robotics program, helping students build more robots, explore bold ideas, and connect directly with local industry leaders in automation.
The grant, awarded this month, will provide critical funding for robotics parts, 3D printing materials, and new laptops to support a growing number of students enrolled in the school’s robotics class. It will also help launch a second competitive team, a goal that Oskaloosa robotics teacher Cory Sheeley has been eyeing since participation in the program nearly doubled after transitioning from an extracurricular activity to a daily class.
“We need to buy a couple more laptops so we can code,” Sheeley said. “Now that we have more kids in class, we’re going to be building more robots.”
The program has grown in student interest and involvement. Last year, seven students participated in the team. This year, 15 are enrolled in the class, with projections as high as 20 for next year.
“Kids are more apt to do things during the school day than they are after school,” Sheeley said. “Now that it’s in my classroom, kids see it all the time. They’re getting to participate without having to give up sports or other activities.”
The Clow Valve grant doesn’t just fund parts and equipment; it strengthens a meaningful partnership between the school and one of Oskaloosa’s leading manufacturers. Clow, which uses robotics extensively in its own operations, recently hosted students on a field trip to tour its automation facilities. The visit gave students an up-close look at real-world applications of the technology they are studying in class.
“They invited us in, and they’re going to pull us in again before the end of the year,” Sheeley said. “We’re going to get to code and play with one of their robots. I think the kids are going to love that.”
The partnership also opens the door for mentorship and technical collaboration. Clow engineers expressed interest in helping students with robot design, camera programming, and movement tracking - all critical skills for competitive robotics.
For students like sophomore Cecil VanWeelden, the experience of securing the grant has been just as valuable as the money itself. VanWeelden was part of the team that helped develop the grant proposal.
“I feel really accomplished,” VanWeelden said. “It shows that not just my hard work, but the hard work of multiple people on our team, benefited us with $5,000, which is pretty good.”
That funding, he said, will help the team replace worn-out parts and try things they hadn’t been able to afford in the past.
“We might be able to buy parts we couldn’t use before, either because they were too expensive or just didn’t seem worth it,” he said. “Now we can fund new ideas.”
Senior Oliver Smith agreed, calling the grant a milestone that brings the team closer to the community and gives them more creative flexibility in design.
“It allows us to fund more adventurous ideas and consider different options when it comes to building,” Smith said. “It gives us the resources to explore those more ‘innovative’ ideas, which could turn into something great.”
After graduation, Smith plans to study mechanical engineering through William Penn University’s partnership with Iowa State, He said his time in robotics has been instrumental in shaping his career goals.
“It’s helped me understand how to work as a team and lead a team,” he said. “It’s also helped me get better at designing and building.”
The team saw major growth in competition this year. Starting the season ranked 20th out of 24, the team climbed to eighth place and advanced to the final tournament, where they pulled off an upset against the league’s top team before falling in a close match.
Looking ahead, Sheeley said the team will focus on improving its portfolio, a critical piece of competitive scoring, and increasing community outreach to boost its profile.
“We're going to start doing some things that help us do better in that portfolio section,” he said. “Community outreach projects, fundraising - it’s all part of it [competition scoring].”
But continued success in robotics comes at a cost. As the program grows more competitive, it also grows more expensive, with costs for registration fees, travel, equipment, and tournament participation rising.
“The better we get, the more money it takes,” Sheeley said. “We’re always looking for more partners in the community to support us.”
With support from Clow Valve and a passionate team of students and educators, Oskaloosa’s robotics program is poised for another leap forward. As interest grows and the team sets its sights on new competitions and capabilities, and robotic students hope the community will continue to rally behind them, helping build not just better robots, but stronger leaders for tomorrow.
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