NATCHEZ — Robert Lewis Magnet School students got their first taste of robotics when they took a field trip to the APEX Center Wednesday.

The trip was part of a new robotics class created through a partnership between the school and Alcorn State University. The class offers students in grades six through eight an introduction to the world of robotics.

Principal Zandra McDonald said the conversation about the class began about a month ago. McDonald said she learned ASU professor Dr. Sam Nwaneri was interested in helping middle and high school students understand robotics.

“We want to move them into actually building robots,” McDonald said. “That’s been a goal at the school.”

McDonald said Robert Lewis tries to expose its students to science and technology programs, now including robotics. Teaching robotics to young students would help their job searches later in life, Nwaneri said.

A presentation was given onin students daily lives “What we are doing is introducing the technologies in these areas,” Nwaneri said.

While on the field trip students worked on a project with lights led by ASU robotics instructor Randy Derby.

Derby explained electrical resistors to students.

Hailey O’Connor, 11, said her favorite part was making the light dim.

O’Connor was part of the first session, which consisted of 18 sixth graders. Overall, 38 Robert Lewis students came to the APEX Center for two separate sessions, separated by grade.

The goal, McDonald said, is to have a class each month, but Nwaneri said the program might do two sessions a month to accommodate all of the interested students.

Eventually, McDonald said they want students to start going to robotics competitions.

Nwaneri said students could host a competition between themselves next year.

“We want them to start getting to competitions because, if they are doing well, we want to reinforce them,” Nwaneri said.