When curiosity meets opportunity—and competition is thrown into the mix—teamwork and ideation become a lightning rod for innovation. Now, after nearly a decade, that energy has reignited into Principia School’s new robotics team.
Led by Robotics and Sustainability Teacher—and now Team Coach—Ketan Naik, the team reflects the same enthusiasm he brings to Principia. Originally from India, he trained as an engineer before discovering a passion for teaching. After working internationally, he said something about Principia felt different right away. “There’s a sense of community here,” he said. “You feel supported. You feel like you’re building something together.”
And now that building has come to fruition. Meeting together on Saturdays, the team compiles code, creativity, and confidence—blending teamwork with real-world problem-solving.
In competitions like VEX Robotics, teams from across the country and the world have a season-long challenge to design a robot, refine it over time, and compete against other teams to determine which performs most effectively. In its first tournament, Principia notched a win, competed closely in several matches, and came away with something far more important: momentum.
What stands out, says Naik, isn’t the technology—it’s the transformation. “For me, it was about getting them started,” he said. “Let them experience it and build from there.” And as with all things Principia, the bigger takeaway isn’t about the scoreboard—it’s about the hands-on application the students acquire along the way.
The value of robotics isn’t simply building—it’s learning through trial and error. It’s about testing ideas, receiving feedback, adjusting when they fail, and even more importantly, how to think on your feet.
“Robotics is about creativity and problem-solving,” said Naik. “Bringing together everything you learn into one place, for one project, with one team.” That type of learning is the hallmark of a Principia education, where students are emboldened to explore and take ownership of their work.
“Here, it’s not ‘do what I want,’” Naik explained. “It’s ‘tell me what you want to learn.’” That freedom shows up in the robotics room. Students aren’t just following instructions—they’re making decisions, testing their own ideas, and learning from each other.
That environment, he believes, is what unlocks students’ potential. “When you give them the freedom to be themselves—that’s when creativity sparks.” And whether that work takes place in the classroom—or a workshop—students aren’t just building for the future—they’re actively shaping it.