Vermont.gov

A team of students from Essex High School (EHS) and the Center for Technology Essex (CTE) qualified for a berth in the World Championship in Robotic Design sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) as a result of their success at the Northern New England FIRST Tech Challenge championship in Antrim, N.H. on March 10, 2012.

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) features a series of qualifying matches that it to alliances, each with two teams, competing against each other on a 12' x 12' arena, scoring points by putting racquet balls into small crates and stacking them. The EHS/CTE team struggled during qualifying rounds, but were recognized by competition judges for their innovation, determination, teamwork, connection with community, and professionalism. They were given the Inspire award which is given to the team that best embodies the mission of FIRST, “to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders”.

Receiving the Inspire award guaranteed the team a place at the FIRST World Championship, even though they were not the highest scoring team. The World Championship will be held in St. Louis, Missouri from April 25 – April 28, 2012. In the meantime, the team plans to redesign their robot that was heavily damaged during competition into a world competitor.

The team consists of Mat Spencer, Mark Furland, Jacob Dowman, Brian LaClair, Peter Orzell, Miles Rowen, Jacob Bovee, Susan Lunn, Riley Wilbur, Ian Ballou, Steven Chastenay, and John Vo. Coaches Jim Dirmaier (CTE) and Joe Chase (EHS) have been coaching the Robotics Design Team for four years.

Other Vermont Teams competing:

Technical Challenge a.k.a. 'Bowled Over'

U-32 (Robo Raiders), Essex Union High School (Hornets), Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU RoboHawks), Windham Regional Career Center (Brattle Bots), and Long Trail School in Dorset (Mountain Doom).

FIRST Robotics aka ‘Rebound Rumble’ participating schools:

Sharon Academy, St. Johnsbury Academy and Rutland County Schools (youth group).

An RETN Channel interview with the team is scheduled to be taped April 18 and shown by April 23.

For more information regarding FIRST, go to http://www.usfirst.org/.

For more information contact coaches Joe Chase at jchase@ccsuvt.org or Jim Dirmaier at jdirmaier@ccsuvt.org.

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Vermont Students Participate in International Robotics Competition