Nichols said the money will help further renovate the former church building the robotics club moved into last year and help the center, which serves elementary and high school students from Butler County and throughout Greater Cincinnati, better accommodate its growing enrollment.
“Some of the money will go to upgrading the building and some of the money will go to our student teams,” said Nichols of the center’s new location at 6856 Dimmick Road.
“Last year we had about 80 students and this year we’ll probably closer to 175 students.”
“And now we have the room to grow,” he said referencing the 28,000 square feet of learning spaces compared to the center’s previous 2,000-square-foot headquarters, which was on the grounds of the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty in Olde West Chester.
This was the 12th year for the popular West Chester Twp. event at The Square @ Union Centre, which draws thousands and serves as a major fundraiser for the nonprofit Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association.
The center was selected as this year’s main beneficiary of the rally.
Nichols said the center, which though it bears a Lakota name, is not affiliated with the school system, now draws students from Butler, Hamilton and Warren counties to its wide-ranging learning and youth competitive robotics teams that compete locally, statewide and nationally.
In March, Nichols was honored by ServeOhio’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism for his more than two decades of educating grade school, high school and young adults from throughout Greater Cincinnati about robotics.
ServeOhio officials described Nichols as a “a dedicated lead mentor for the Lakota Robotics team, inspiring middle and high school students from 13 different school districts to push the boundaries of innovation.”
“And now we’re starting to get kids from Clermont County and more home-schooled students.”
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