( CNN ) -- When a Phoenix teacher , way back in 2004 , offered four students the option of learning marine science through textbook lessons or by building an underwater robot , the students chose the hands-on approach . It was a decision that revealed the power of experiential learning and created the opening scene for a Hollywood script . `` I had nothing to do . I felt like a loser , '' one of the students , Lorenzo Santillan , told an Arizona newspaper in 2008 . Without the robot club , `` I would have probably just dropped out of high school . '' In fact , all four students graduated from high school . `` All these kids have taken what they 've learned and decided that they can be leaders in their community , '' the robotics teacher , Fredi Lajvardi , says in a new documentary film , Underwater Dreams . The film tracks four Hispanic students who started the robotics team at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix , a decade ago . Working under gifted teachers , the guys build an underwater robot , nicknamed Stinky . The fun starts when they enter a national competition that pits their machine against robots from both high school and college teams . No need to spoil the finish . It 's enough to say that the tale , with a tampon prominent in the construction of the robot , inspired a long-form piece in WIRED magazine , a new Hollywood feature starring George Lopez and Marisa Tomei , and the documentary film . As part of a deal with NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres , `` Underwater Dreams '' opens Friday , July 11 , in Los Angles and New York , before rolling out to other cities . Underwriters include the Bezos Family Foundation , The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and the Virginia Piper Charitable Trust . While `` Underwater Dreams '' is a compelling tale about four kids who beat the odds , it carries a larger message about education reform . The need for reform is straightforward . In this century , economic growth depends on jobs for which Americans are not sufficiently trained , at least as compared to other countries . Absent reform , according to the The Jobs Council , U.S. firms will struggle to fill positions that require technical skill . How to implement reform is the sticky part . Reforming education means altering how teachers teach . When I took algebra , chemistry and physics , my teachers stood at the front of the classroom and lectured . If I learned anything , I learned by listening . Today , there is a belief that students learn more by doing . Sounds simple enough , but it 's a challenge to reorganize instructional budgets , train new teachers , retrain veteran teachers and bring students and parents along . Instruction ends up looking different than your father 's science class , as evidenced by the robotics poetry class offered at one innovative Pennsylvania middle school . `` Underwater Dreams '' adds weight to the argument in favor of hands-on , experiential learning by proving that it can be accomplished in a tough setting , without lots of new resources . The lesson is especially critical for STEM education -- science , technology , engineering and mathematics -- where we must set learning on fire for children who may otherwise disengage from school . I first heard about the Hayden robotics program shortly after the now-famous underwater competition , when the foundation where I work began making grants to support programs at the school . The students saw they could accomplish more than they ever could have imagined . Whether they went on to become an Army paratrooper like Oscar Vazquez or a chef , as Santillan has done , their high school experience helped . `` With robotics , the kids fell in love with building , pure and simple , '' `` Underwater Dreams '' filmmaker Mary Mazzio told me in an e-mail . `` They loved the kinesthetic learning of how things worked . Although they did n't call it engineering , that is what they fell in love with . Oscar first learned to make a catapult for Halloween -- and they concocted a giant catapult right out of Joan of Arc -- and had pumpkins smashing everywhere . He fell in love . '' From the film , I was struck by Dean Kamen 's remarks on the need to develop talented young people . An inventor whose creations include the Segway , Kamen is also founder of FIRST robotics , which enables more than 350,000 students to build robots annually . I called Kamen to ask him whether the kids in `` Underwater Dreams '' represent a fluke , or whether all students could flourish this way . `` You did n't find two needles in the haystack , '' Kamen said . `` You found a stack of needles . They are all sharp . All they needed was a little guidance , a little support . '' Let 's hope the release of `` Underwater Dreams '' leads to more schools uncovering more of these needles . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
A Phoenix teacher gave his students the option to learn by doing . John Bare : The project motivated students to succeed and has important lessons . He says America needs better education and training for job-related skills . Bare : Hands-on learning can succeed even in schools hard-pressed for resources .