I am Chance Williams, an alumnus of Prince William County Schools and a former member of the PWCS Robotics team, 2068 The Metal Jackets. 

I am initiating this petition to gather support for a permanent Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) building in Prince William County.

I attribute much of my personal and academic success to Ms. Denyse Carroll and the Prince William County Robotics Program. However, the program's future growth is hindered due to a lack of expansion, support, and a permanent location. 

The Robotics program is more than just an extracurricular activity, providing students with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences in STEM). It fosters problem-solving skills, innovation, team collaboration, and leadership—an investment in our children's future that no doubt fuels our nation's scientific and technological advancements. 

However, the program is currently operating under numerous constraints. One of the main constraints is the lack of physical space, which has limited the number of teams and students that can participate. We are leading the state of Virginia with Land, Air, and Sea Robotics programs, which host numerous competitions across the county throughout the year.  

For years, these competitions were run by one person. Thankfully, this year, the county hired an additional person. However, two people cannot support ten robotics platforms and thousands of students across elementary, middle, and high school. Our Robotics program should be preserved and expanded, and a physical and permanent location is necessary to ensure that PWCS can live up to its motto: “Launching Thriving Futures.”

Prince William County must recognize the immense potential of our Robotics program and take decisive action. We therefore call upon the decision-makers in Prince William County to increase support for the Robotics program, allow for its expansion, and, most importantly, provide a permanent home where its students can cultivate their passion for robotics and STEM. 

Let's not limit the potential of our future innovators. Sign the petition for a PWCS STEM building to help our young STEM students build a better future, one robot at a time.