Riverside Robotics Kicks Off Season
November 02, 2011
Seven students have picked up a new extra-curricular activity at the high school. They are currently building a robot to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Competition against other teams from Iowa and around the nation. FIRST is an organization that encourages young people to explore the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through hands-on experience with robotics. On September 10th, six of the seven team members attended a kick-off event in Vinton where the official 2011-2012 Robotics competition was unveiled. The rules and objectives of this year's competition were released and the team members attended sessions to learn more about this new program from experienced teams and coaches. It was a great experience as the students learned what to expect as they construct and program the robot as well as built excitement for the upcoming competitions.
Meghan McSorley, a senior member of the team says of the program, "I'm excited about robotics because I know this learning experience will broaden my knowledge about all technologies, in general. I also know that this experience will bring many rewards including the joy of accomplishment." Another senior, Ean Johnson, says he is excited because this is "an opportunity to showcase academic ability and skill in a competitive setting."
More information about FIRST and FTC competitions can be found by visiting www.usfirst.org. If interested in supporting this new program, please contact Mr. Edgerly at the high school (712-482-6464) or by email, jedgerly@riverside.k12.ia.us.
