San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) recently highlighted the SDJA Robotics “Kayefet” initiative, a unique student-run program led by Upper School students to inspire 2nd-5th grade students through hands on STEM, engineering, coding, and robotics experiences, according to a news release.
“What makes this program exceptional is that it’s authentically student-designed,” said SDJA teacher Marc Muroff in the news release. “The older students aren’t just teaching skills, they’re modeling creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking. Younger students learn engineering concepts while also seeing what a future at SDJA has in store for them.”
SDJA Robotics Kayefet is a fully student-led initiative imagined, built, and run by members of the Maimonides Upper School High School Robotics Team, which competes in the FIRST Robotics League. Beyond teaching hands-on skills, they aim to strengthen community and spark curiosity in the next generation of SDJA innovators. All proceeds are reinvested directly into the robotics program, giving this initiative a real entrepreneurial angle and allowing students to support and sustain their own team.
“We created this program because we wanted younger students to experience the excitement we feel every time a robot comes to life,” said 11th grader Sophia Monsowitz in the news release. “It is going to be amazing to teach what we’ve learned through SDJA robotics to younger students and watch them light up when something they built actually comes to life.”
One standout lesson taught younger students to think like engineers by writing clear, detailed instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As high school students followed the directions exactly, laughter—and learning—filled the room, reinforcing the importance of precision in robotics and problem-solving.
“Through Robotics Kayefet, SDJA students are building robots, confidence, and community – one challenge at a time,” added Muroff in the news release.
The MUS Lions robotics team created an outreach arm called Running Start Robotics. One standout lesson taught younger students to think like engineers by writing clear, detailed instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Here, 11th grader Sophia Monsowitz, the main force behind it, is trying to make a sunbutter jelly sandwich based on the instructions the Kayafet students gave her.
(Courtesy of SDJA)