Don’t be alarmed if there are robots roaming around the second floor of Eastside Connections School.

The robots come in peace, and as part of Lake Michigan College’s Robotics Program, which recently expanded to Eastside thanks to a partnership with Niles Community Schools.

Through the LMC program, students will be able to build their own programmable robots using Lego pieces, or similar products, and computer programming.

Although all of the details have yet to be worked out, Niles Supt. Richard Weigel said students from across the district would be able to come to Eastside to take robotics classes.

“Students can come up and be involved with a problem and use the Lego robotics to come up with a solution, which involves mathematics, science, engineering, statistics and many other things,” he said.

Students from outside the Niles district can also take part in the robotics classes at Eastside through LMC.

Weigel said Niles school board member Greg O’Toole was instrumental in completing the robotics lab, which is located in the former Eastside Library. O’Toole said he and his wife, Robin, worked on renovating the space since November.

“I had to do it on my days off, but I don’t know what days off really means other than it means I need to paint and scrape and sand and do other things,” Greg O’Toole said.

Members of the Niles High School robotics team ripped out the old carpet, which was replaced with new carpet. The walls were painted and new technology infrastructure installed.

Niles Community Schools covered the cost of the renovation — about $4,000 — while LMC is helping out with some of the building’s overhead expenses.

“We saw this partnership as an opportunity to work on something together and build something together,” Weigel said. “It had a good appeal and I think it being at Eastside Connections School, which is based around problem-based learning, is a great fit. I think we can help take this program to new heights.”

For more information on LMC’s robotics programs, visit lakemichigancollege.edu or call (269) 927-8100.