MANCHESTER – Gov. Chris Sununu and state Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut recently visited Spark Academy to celebrate the production of the first 200 robots for its Experiential Robotics Platform.

The robots, which will be distributed to New Hampshire’s classrooms, were created by Spark Academy’s student-led, 24-printer 3D print farm.

“That capstone experience for our students and the setup of our 3D print farm is just the start,” said Spark Director John Tuttle. “We have developed a two-part Extended Learning Opportunity with the print farm, focusing on the manufacturing process.”

The Experiential Robotics Platform initiative is an effort to provide low-cost robotics kits to every classroom that wants them.

Spark Academy knows firsthand how beneficial robotics programs are for kids, teaching them problem solving, teamwork, and perseverance along with building, coding and the engineer-ing design process. Every Spark student takes an Introduction to Robotics class.

Creating the 3D print farm in the school setting compelled 22 students to volunteer their time to help with the XRP production, giving them a hands-on experience of the manufacturing process.

Spark Academy got involved with the XRP Robot initiative last year, when a group of fourth year students on the Advanced Manufacturing Technology pathway were approached by Daniel Larochelle, chairman of the AMT Department at Manchester Community College, where Spark is located.

He created the opportunity for the students to do a capstone senior project, testing the XRP prototype in a partnership with MCC, Worcester Polytechnic Institute as well as DEKA Research and Development Corp.

Spark students also assembled, inspected and soldered wiring harnesses by hand so that 600 of these prototypes could be sent to the first Global Conference in Geneva for international distribution.

“Spark Academy will continue to produce XRP kits and other projects in partnership with DEKA,” said Larochelle. “In fact, we’re hoping that the next XRP projects will come from the minds of Spark students.”