The SanLee Middle School robotics team won a trophy for Teamwork at the middle school robotics competition held Nov. 15 at Central Carolina Community College.
SANFORD - The annual middle school robotics competition was held at Central Carolina Community College's Lee County Campus on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Teams from SanLee, West Lee, and East Lee middle schools in Lee County, and Anne Chestnut Middle School of Fayetteville, scrimmage in preparation for the official FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League competitions, which are held regionally, statewide, and nationally. All teams are FLL registered and eligible for the regional and state competitions.
FIRST(R), (Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology FIRST), has as its mission "to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership," according to its website.
The students, along with a teacher/coach and/or mentor, work for months to build and program their robot to accomplish tasks, and research and develop solutions if they face any obstacles.
Each team was evaluated in four categories - presentation, robot design, robot performance, and teamwork. Judges were Sandra Castonguay (lead instructor), and John LaVere and Jerry Clendenen, instructors from the Electronic Engineering Technology Department; Al Delong, former middle school teacher and second-year Laser and Photonics student, and Angie Humphreys, a second-year Electronic Engineering student.
Charlee the Cougar was on hand to present trophies. East Lee Middle School won trophies for Best Performance Overall and Robot Design. West Lee Middle School won a trophy for Best Robot Performance. SanLee Middle School won a trophy for Teamwork. Anne Chestnut Middle School won a trophy for Best Presentation. All students received a certificate that recognizes their hard work, creativity and commitment to their project.
This year's event was co-sponsored by the CCCC Electronic Engineering Technology degree program, Communities in School of Lee County and Lee County Schools, in collaboration with CCCC Student Services (cornhole game and Charlee the Cougar), the Cougar Print Shop (manuals, name tags, and certificates), and Peter Karstaedt and Thomas Dutton from the college's Computer Aided Drafting Department demonstrated the latest software in industry to create 3D printing.
For more information about Central Carolina's Electronics Engineering Technology degree and Electronics Technology certificate programs, visit the college's web site, www.cccc.edu. For more information about the FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League, visit www.firstlegoleague.org.
The SanLee Middle School robotics team won a trophy for Teamwork at the middle school robotics competition held Nov. 15 at Central Carolina Community College.
The East Lee Middle School robotics team won trophies for Best Performance Overall and Robot Design at the middle school robotics competition held Nov. 15 at Central Carolina Community College.
The West Lee Middle School robotics team won a trophy for Best Robot Performance at the middle school robotics competition held Nov. 15 at Central Carolina Community College.
The Anne Chestnut Middle School robotics team won a trophy for Best Presentation at the middle school robotics competition held Nov. 15 at Central Carolina Community College.