The big event is right around the corner! This season we wanted to share the stories of some of our State Robotics Initiative Grant recipients who’ve made it to the 2020 Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship!
BES Robopros are from Lawrenceburg, IN
BES Robopros
Bright Elementary School
Lawrenceburg, In
At State, this team will be easy to spot. Look for their fierce mascot and the bubbly students chanting “B-E-S Robopros, B-E-S Robopros!” High in team spirit and in talent, this team from Lawrenceburg, Indiana has made a name for themselves, despite this being their first season. The Robopros team is comprised of 8 students who have been practicing twice a week since August.
The Robopros gracefully demonstrate what it means to be resilient. According to their coach, their first robot design did not work out, they had to brainstorm and work together to get their finished robot: the Rhinocorn. Their season was not easy, there were rough patches tense with conflict, frustration and even disagreements. Those moments did not stop this team from growing, working together and succeeding.
“Robotics means a lot to our students. To them robotics means designing and building a great robot, following the engineering process, learning how to work together, having a place to feel included, and most importantly- having fun!”
Coach Michelle Hofer and the team grew together throughout the season. The students learned how to listen to one another, analyze ideas based on merit, and how to value themselves and their teammates. Coach Hofer also learned great things from her team, including how to unify students with different interests and abilities in order to achieve a central goal. In addition, she has learned how to guide students through the different processes of robot design while allowing them to think through each step themselves.
Leo Robotics is housed in Leo-Cedarville, IN
Leo Robotics
Leo Elementary School & Leo Junior/Senior High School
Leo-Cedarville, IN
Leo Robotics is comprised of teams at Leo Elementary School and both the Leo Elementary & Leo Junior/Senior High Schools. Representing Leo- Cedarville, Indiana - all four teams will be competing at State this year!
The middle school teams, 141A and 141B will be competing at State in the VEX IQ Middle School division. These teams are completely focused on success at State while having a good time! The students love working on the different components of robotics; from completing the engineering workbook, solving math problems to determine the correct ratios for their robot’s gears, and being able to collaborate with one another.
“Robotics is important to us because we love solving problems and working with other people! We have met new friends that are both on our team and on other teams.”
In the Elementary division, teams 26194A and 26194B worked through various challenges to make it to State. 26194B had to re-strategize after their best driver broke their arm! Both teams were faced with adversity at a few competitions. Team A had to problem-solve quickly when their robot’s brain started to act up right before a competition. Team A had to shift into high gear to brainstorm, implement their solutions, and test out whether it would work out.
Coaches Joe Kennedy and Shelley Crozier have both seen their teams grow. Crozier noted that, “As the season went on, I saw that their skills and confidence grew with each practice.” Kennedy is proud of his team members’ growth in mathematics this season and how much his students love working together and supporting one another.
Rocket Fuel Robotics
Riverside Intermediate School
Plymouth, IN
Rocket Fuel Robotics is representing their home base of Plymouth, IN.
The energetic team from Riverside is comprised of 22 students. During the regular season, the team practiced twice a week for 90 minutes. However, moving into State the team has added practices as needed to best prepare for the big day. Riverside team members started drafting designs for their bots over the summer in preparation for the team’s official start in September. This summer time preparation has definitely set the tone for the team. They are hard workers whose motivation comes from honing in on each team member’s individual role and making sure they all remain focused.
“Robotics allows our students to participate in a challenging activity in an encouraging, fun, and exciting environment. ”
Like the other amazing robotics teams, Riverside had to problem solve. At one competition, the B team was sure they’d win but were unfortunately outscored in a separate finals match. Instead of letting the defeat get them down, the team worked hard to refine their driving and programming skills in order to win their last qualifying tournament earning them a spot at State!
The students have grown tremendously in their coding knowledge, as well. In addition to the growth in that skill, team members feel strongly about the importance of robotics. Coach Laurie Wandland says, “Robotics allows our students to participate in a challenging activity in an encouraging, fun, and exciting environment. Students are able to apply their knowledge of STEM skills and the design process to create their robot and then compete with teams from across the state, country, and world.”
Good luck to the BES Robopros, LEO Robotics, Rocket Fuel Robotics and the 350+ teams competing at State on March 7th!
A special thank you to the fantastic coaches who helped us recognize their awesome students with this blog post.