A partnership between the Extraordinary Innovation Labs BEST Robotics Team and the newly developed MakerBarn makerspace is helping to increase student learning of science, technology, engineering and math. The EIL team, formerly known as The Woodlands Homeschoolers, has competed in the annual BEST Robotics contest since 2001. Over the years, the team of homeschooled students has struggled to find space in which to construct their robot, marketing booth and other components of the competition. For many years the team met in homes and took over their parents’ garages for up to six months during the local and regional competition season. And while school sponsored teams often have well-equipped workshops and funding, the EIL team has had to borrow the equipment needed. Sometimes this has left the team without the proper tools for the job.
Several years ago the team began meeting at the Extraordinary Education Center (www.extraed.org), a local non-profit organization that supports homeschooled students through classes, t
eams and activities. While this move helped with space concerns, the team still struggled with equipment needs. With the recent development of The MakerBarn makerspace on the Extraordinary Education Center campus, the team now has access to state of the art tools and equipment such as a CNC machine, laser cutting machine and 3-D printers. More importantly, the team has received valuable assistance and mentoring from volunteers who are part of the MakerBarn makerspace community. MakerBarn mentors have trained the students on use of many tools including the CNC machine and laser cutting machine. MakerBarn volunteers even helped finish out a dedicated section of the barn just for the team. The MakerBarn (www.themakerbarn.org) is a membership based community organization committed to supporting and sharing the art of “making” with people of all ages.
Extraordinary Innovation Labs (www.eilrobotics.com) is a student led organization that provides a safe, family friendly environment for students to learn about science, technology, and engineering as well as marketing and communication skills. 
The team also provides an outlet for students to develop valuable leadership skills. The team has placed in the local hub contest and advanced to the regional competition numerous times in the past 15 years. Between competitions, the team hosts camps to promote STEM learning and the BEST Robotics program in the community. Through the camps, the team also raises funds to be used toward competition expenses. Camps have included Lego Robotics Camps, ReBoot Engineering Camps, and Minecraft Programming Camps.
BEST Robotics (www.bestinc.org) is a national program designed to Boost Engineering Science and Technology through a robotics competition. Teams are provided with raw materials such as plywood, pvc pipe, screws and other hardware along with a controller and motors and then challenged to turn those materials into a working robot within a six-week timeframe. The competition also has other elements which enhance student learning about the business world including a marketing booth, marketing presentation, and engineering notebook.
