Malvern Prep’s robotics club boasts a state-of-the-art workshop, where dozens of students design, program, and build their young hearts out.

And the school has All-Fill’s support to thank for it.

The Exton-based manufacturer of packaging machinery recently sponsored Malvern Prep’s robotics team, helping it cover travel expenses to competitions and source parts for its inventions.

“(The club is) one of the best educational opportunities that we provide at the school, and it simply wouldn’t exist and wouldn’t be as accessible without support and sponsorship,” said Dr. Kevin Quinn, who oversees curriculum development at Malvern Prep.

The robotics club engages students who are looking to develop their skills in designing and building. All-Fill CEO Ryan Edginton recently visited the school and toured the workshop.

“It’s really encouraging to see young minds developing an affinity for robotics,” he said. “All-Fill is proud to sponsor the robotics club and contribute to their education.”

Malvern Prep’s robotics team is working toward the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, an international high school robotics competition, with the hope of qualifying for the regional championship at Lehigh University in April. It would be Malvern Prep’s first district event in more than a decade, and students have been working long hours, including on Saturdays, to build their entry.

High-schoolers call the FIRST Robotics Competition, branded as the Ultimate Sport for the Mind, “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.” Under strict rules and limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get.

Malvern Prep sophomore Cade Heppelmann oversees the robotics team’s finances and estimates that the cost to participate in the district event will range from $3,000 to $4,000.

It’s the type of support that All-Fill is happy to provide and views as an investment in its workforce of the future.

“We’re excited for the students to visit All-Fill’s facility,” said Edginton, “so they can gain more insight about what opportunities are available in their future.”

Learn more about All-Fill.