For the third consecutive year, the Titans Robotics team went to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) World Championships in Houston, Texas from April 17 to 20.
To reach the World Championship, the team competed in two Chesapeake district competitions. To qualify, the team had to place within the top 55 teams or win the Impact Award at one of the events.
At the first district competition, the team won the Judge’s Award, a merit-based award on “efforts, performance or dynamics” according to the FIRST website.
While at the second competition, the team won the Impact Award, which is considered the most prestigious award. According to the FIRST website, the Impact Award “honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST.”
The World Championship consists of 607 teams from more than 50 countries.
“I’m really looking forward to competing with the best teams in the world,” said Junior Malena Walker. “It’s really cool to see the other designs and strategies!”
Walker is the head of the Impact team, which highlights the community outreach of the club. Since April 2023, the team has volunteered at and/or hosted 16 outreach events.
“Last summer, we were able to hold in-person summer camps,” wrote the Impact team in their Impact Essay. The Impact Essay is a written outline of the community engagement the team participates in. “Over the course of four weeks, we introduced 47 campers, in grades K-9, to robotics, rocketry, physics, programming, problem-solving, critical thinking and communications skills.”
The team believes that the camp will help integrate the team and STEAM into the city.
“Currently, we are planning a free health sciences camp, available to all, that will provide access to technology, such as augmented reality,” the essay read. “We have also continued our partnership with Kiwanis Alexandria, a non-profit service organization that has provided our team with funding in years prior.”
The team aspires to provide resources to every student in the city.
“At our high school, there are 119 countries and 124 languages represented with a student body composed of a non-white majority” said the Impact Team. “We [continue to] break down barriers by creating and funding new K-8 teams at local schools.”
The team’s robot placed 43rd out of 74 competitors in their division at FIRST.
