KENTWOOD - When members of the FIRST Robotics team Code Red learned Grandville student Nevin Hooper couldn't take his wheelchair into the woods for hands-on field trips, the team decided to build him a wheelchair that could.

Code Red is a community team with members who come from all over the area, some from schools that have the FIRST Robotic program and some that don't offer it, coach Ken Orzechowski said. He said Code Red has planted teams in Forest Hills, East Kentwood, West Michigan Aviation Academy, and the Petoskey and Battle Creek areas, and has also revived teams in schools such as Wyoming.

The project started when Code Red's FIRST Lego League program, for fourth- through sixth-graders, was tasked with a research project to come up with a way to improve the learning experience, Orzechowski said. The FLL students chose the topic of hands-on learning versus book learning. While researching barriers for each learning style, they met Nevin, who attends Century Park Learning Center, where Orzechowski works.

Nevin Hooper, 12, of Grandville, checks out his new all-terrain chair with Code Red team coach Ken Orzechowski, of Grandville, at the team's build space in Kentwood.

The team found Nevin, 12, is a hands-on learner. But being in a wheelchair limits the field trips and other events he can take part in when the activities involve leaving the sidewalk.

Nevin gave the team the example of when his class went into the woods behind the school to collect items for an environmental science project and he had to wait at the end of the sidewalk for his classmates to bring back and show him what they found.

"Believe me, it was an eye opener for not only the FLL kids but the parents," Orzechowski said. "Wow, they never thought of going out in the woods as a special experience."

So, the FLL students, with help from the FIRST Robotics Competition high school team and coaches, designed an all-terrain wheelchair for Nevin. One coach, Casey DeBois, was able to secure nonfunctioning electric wheelchairs from the humanitarian aid organization Rays of Hope.

"We picked the chairs up, and with a small investment in batteries and parts, we were able to get enough to get a working base and found a decent seat," Orzechowski said.

He said the teams also found parts for a redesigned track system, donated by the power equipment company Ariens, and partnered with Professional Fabricating & Manufacturing, a team sponsor, for a custom fender and body for the wheelchair.

"After a series of design sessions we had a solution and a plan," Orzechowski said. "We made some of the parts, and others we had our machine-shop partners make. It has taken a bit to get this going after we made all the parts and assembled the base. We had to learn how to program it for the new drive system."

The result was "a really, really cool" off-road wheelchair, Nevin said. The team recently presented him with the wheelchair at their build space at 4159 Brockton Drive in Kentwood.

"I thought it was great," Nevin said. "I was so excited. My favorite thing about the new wheelchair is the tread - the tread gives it a cool effect, and I can go everywhere."

Orzechowski praised the teams for their hard work, saying the community service project not only deeply impacted Nevin but also the team members.

As part of the Code Red FIRST Robotic teams, the students design and create robots for competition. The program has teams for fourth through 12th grades, led by college students and professional mentors.

Students on the Code Red team come from Jenison, Grandville, Calvin Christian, South Christian, Kentwood, Rockford, Forest Hills, Byron Center, Kenowa Hills, Hopkins, Catholic Central, North Pointe Christian, home schools and other area schools.