Reagan Elementary: What is FIRST robotics?

Zoë Ortiz, Reporter

The Ranger Robotics team, 7797 Victorian Voltage, ventured to Reagan Elementary on Dec. 3 to teach children about FIRST robotics.

Five students presented and began mentoring others who are interested in the program. FIRST robotics is an international company founded to help students from the ages of 6-18 gain leadership skills, help secure their futures, and overall find where they are going in their life and how to get there in a responsible manner.

“A strong engineering culture at Vista Ridge and the surrounding community,” Senior, Marketing, Seth Knievel said. “Our main goal is to spread our passion for science and technology among our peers and when it comes to first, it is all about the kids. They strive for a student-led environment where kids can be adults. Not only does this instill a sense of leadership into the people involved, but also allows for them to try new things. It gives us something to do, and shows us that we can do it – what ever that may be.”

Robotics teams are structured by three various departments such as hardware, software and marketing. Hardware works on design, engineering and builds the robot. Competition repairs while software codes the robots functions and controls using robotC. Marketing ties it all together by advertising the team, robot, handles public relations and image management.

“We have worked closely with teams before from Vandegrift, LASA, and just recently Henry Middle School, to better their skills in all departments,” Senior, Hardware, Matthew McClain said. “This next year, we are hoping to widen our sphere of influence to help and get to know even more people within our competitions.”

At Reagan, each department showcased different fields to the children, during the presentations and demonstrations. One of the children asked ever so softly how the gears rotates around the robot. Many of the parents got involved with their kids and asked the Ranger Robotics team questions as well.

“We had almost 200 students and their parents there watching our half hour presentation,” Knievel said. “We then had a booth that we ran so that children could come up and ask questions about our robot. Surprisingly we also had a large amount of parents come up and tell us about their experience in science fields. Overall, it was a surprisingly fulfilling experience that we really enjoyed. We didn’t think we would connect so well with them being so young, but we were wrong, and that was what made tonight so awesome. We will definitely be looking for something else like this to do in the future.”

The Ranger Robotics team 7797 has been invited back again by the Reagan Event Coordinator, Janine Gillot, to present their presentation next year.

“The team was great! Very enthusiastic and helpful,” Gillot said. “I think it was neat that elementary students got a chance to look ahead to high school and see the robotics opportunities there. And the science night was such a hit that we’re definitely planning on doing it again next year, so I’ll be sure to contact you [Ranger Robotics team 7797] again about that.”

 

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