I got excited about robotics 15 years ago when my husband Tim came home excited about a fun Lego Robotics competition that we could get our students excited about. Being a librarian, I was particularly thrilled to see an opportunity for students to be authentic researchers and inventors. I have been working with and organizing FLL teams for International Schools in China for the last 7 years. I am always amazed at what students learn and do. They inspire me!

Tim is a Secondary Librarian at Shanghai American School (SAS). Tim’s background is in biological sciences and was a science teacher at the Middle and High School Level for many years before moving to the Library where he supports student research. For the last 7 years Tim has worked to support the FIRST Lego League at his school by coaching and leading teams and by supporting and judging FLL Tournaments by serving as the Head Referee for the FLL international schools in China. Tim is a member of the ACAMIS Robotics Planning Committee.

Larry is the MakerSpace Coordinator at Shanghai American School-Puxi. Larry has taught a wide range of math, science and engineering courses over the course of his career. He came to SAS after 25 years teaching in Alaska. He helped start FRC and FTC robotics programs throughout Alaska and helped set up an Engineering Academy at his school there. He is the advisor for the PXR FTC Robotics Club and has hosted China FIRST FTC Qualifying tournaments at SAS his three years here in China. Larry is a member of the ACAMIS Robotics Planning Committee.

Lisa is the Middle School STEM Instructional Coach at Concordia International School Shanghai. Lisa’s background is in biological sciences and she has taught science at the high school and middle school level for many years. In addition to instructional coaching, Lisa currently teaches Maker Design, an elective course for middle school students and supports Concordia’s MakerSpaces. For the last three years Lisa has worked to support the FIRST Lego League at Concordia by coaching and leading teams, hosting tournaments and workshops and serving as a tournament judge. Lisa is a member of the ACAMIS Robotics Planning Committee.

Jonathan Rachlin is the robotics coach at Daystar Academy in Beijing. Jonathan has spent most of his professional career as a software developer, mostly in finance, and later in the educational sphere. He has been involved with the FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition for thirteen years, initially coaching a team of homeschoolers in New York. When he arrived in China almost ten years ago, he worked for LEGO Education, where he was responsible for starting both the International Schools FIRST LEGO League and China FIRST Tech Challenge competitions. In addition to coaching robotics, Jonathan is also the Middle School football coach at Daystar. He is still active as an educational software developer, currently writing software for learning math and Chinese. Jonathan is a member of the ACAMIS Robotics Committee.

Danny teaches mathematics and robotics at Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA). Danny’s background is in electrical engineering, major in communication. As a senior engineer, Danny has worked in the high-tech industry in Canada for over ten years, specializing in cellular telecommunication and was instrumental in designing Bell Mobility’s cellular network across Canada. Owing to his engineering background, Danny has taught many high school subjects including computer engineering, statistics, Physics, general science, technology, ITGS and mathematics. Currently, Danny is working on integrating robotics into the school’s curriculum via STEAM. Also, Danny is a member of the ACAMIS Robotics Planning Committee.