Students who walk into Keith Campbell’s robotics classroom at Cairo Junior/Senior High know this isn’t a sit-and-take-notes kind of class. There’s the sound of laughter as students troubleshoot their latest creations. In this space, curiosity comes first—and mistakes are part of the learning process.

Campbell teaches seventh through twelfth grade science and robotics, guiding three separate robotics classes each day: one for junior high students and two for high schoolers. The programs fall under different names—technology and robotics—but the mission is the same. “They’re all building, all learning how things work,” he says. “And they love it.”

This is his twelfth year teaching robotics and his twentieth year in education overall. The program began with little more than an idea. “When I got the call about a job opening, they told me there was one extra class they didn’t know what to do with,” Campbell recalls. “I said, ‘I’ve always wanted to do robotics.’ I didn’t know much about it at the time, but I wanted to give it a try.”

With support from then-superintendent Ms. Evers, he co-wrote a grant, purchased his first robot, and began building something new—literally and figuratively. “That first year, we were just figuring things out,” he says. “We didn’t have much, but we made it work.”

The robotics room today looks different. Three teams work at once, surrounded by half-built machines, cables, controllers, and a competition platform that dominates the center of the room. But despite the progress, the challenges haven’t disappeared. “I still buy most of our supplies out of my own pocket,” Campbell says. “This year I’ve spent about four hundred fifty dollars. The school got us some new batteries, but there’s always something else you need.”

Funding may be tight, but student enthusiasm is not. “Everybody wants to be in robotics,” Campbell says. “Sometimes I have to turn kids away because there’s just not enough room.” His larger high school class has twenty-three students, with the other close behind at twenty.

Those who do make it, learn more than how to build a robot. “First, they learn what the tools are,” Campbell says. “A screwdriver, a wrench, an Allen wrench—they start there. Then they learn how to follow directions, step by step. When something doesn’t work, they have to figure out why and fix it themselves. That’s where the learning really happens.”

He encourages independence and teamwork in equal measure. “I don’t jump in and fix things for them,” he says. “They’ve got to experiment, problem-solve, and collaborate.”

For Campbell, robotics is a bridge between science, math, and trades. “It’s hands-on science,” he explains. “They’re learning cause and effect, how to read schematics, and how to make things function. It ties right back into what we do in science labs—following directions, staying safe, and working carefully.”

Some of the class projects involve repairing and reprogramming existing robots. Others start from scratch. “We’ve got teams building a complete claw robot right now,” he says. “They had a problem with the axle sliding out, so they took it apart, fixed the issue, and put it back together. They’re learning precision and patience.”

Once the robots are built, students use computers to code movement and behavior. “They’ll program each part, transfer the code, and test it,” Campbell says. “When I started, you had to use flash drives. Now they use controllers and direct connections. The technology keeps changing, and we adapt with it.”

Around the outskirts of the room sit a series of virtual reality stations—eleven in total—used for both science and technology lessons. “We had to spread them out so students don’t bump into each other,” Campbell says with a laugh.

Even with limited resources, the program has continued to grow. Before COVID, Cairo’s robotics team competed against other schools in Cape Girardeau and Carbondale. “We haven’t competed since then,” Campbell says. “Some of those programs shut down, and we didn’t have all the materials to keep up. But I’d love to get us back there.”

Competition or not, Campbell’s students are engaged, motivated, and learning skills that last a lifetime. He gives them a daily participation grade worth five points—earned by staying focused, working hard, and showing respect. “It keeps them accountable,” he says. “Most of them want to be here, so it’s not hard.”

“They’re learning to build, to troubleshoot, to communicate,” he says. “Those skills translate to every part of life.”