Robotics Camp 2013 – Short Film from Shamus Coneys Films on Vimeo.

A year ago Knight Foundation announced plans to put laptops into the hands of young students in Charlotte, N.C., through Project LIFT, a public-private partnership that seeks to improve student achievement. Today, we see what can happen when students have access to technology: They can build a better mousetrap – or at least one made of LEGOs  – while also building self-confidence.

Knight partnered with Project LIFT (Leadership and Investment for Transformation) because we believe children without tech tools and access to the Internet cannot fully participate in the world around them. Knight’s grant moves them one step closer to crossing the digital divide.

In a two-week robotics camp, the LIFT students in the accompanying video demonstrated that they’re taking a big leap over it. They learned lessons in engineering, mathematics and science while thinking creatively, analyzing situations and solving problems. It’s exciting to see.

Project LIFT, which focuses on nine low-performing schools in West Charlotte, has just ended its first school year. The official assessment of the program’s impact is still to come. However, the robotics demonstration in the Wells Fargo Atrium – and the beaming faces of children learning something new –clearly shows something good is going on.

Susan Patterson, Charlotte program director at Knight Foundation