In this article, you will get detail regarding Bucksport robotics team eyes international competition after Rhode Island win
After a strong showing last weekend at the Rhode Island Regional Robotics Competition, the Bucksport High School team is headed to an even bigger competition.
Team 6329, as the Bucksport team is known, won first place at the New England district FIRST Robotics Competition in Glocester, RI, according to Bucksport High School Principal Josh Tripp. FIRST is an international non-profit group that hosts a series of team robotics competitions for children ages 4-18 to promote interest and engagement in STEM academics.
Even more impressive than that, however, is what the win means for Team Bucksport’s ranking as they look ahead to the FIRST International Championship in Houston in April. Team 6329 is now ninth in the world.
“That’s really good,” Tripp said. “It’s pretty exciting.”
Bucksport’s team, which was formed about nine years ago, took its newest robot, Shock, to Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island, where it competed in an agility competition that required the robot to be remotely controlled over and around obstacles and lift, carry, and place objects. to different locations in a small indoor arena about the size of a tennis court.
Tripp said the team has been to various competitions in New England over the years and has competed against international teams in previous world championships. It started with a handful of students last decade, but now, due in part to its success, has attracted between 25 and 30 students from all grades of high schools.
“They really developed this program,” Tripp said.
Tripp said coaches John Boynton and Mike Gross deserve a lot of credit, but the team’s sponsors, donors and volunteers have been key to that growth.
A donation four years ago from Bucksport High School graduates Shelby and Andy Silvernail, who gave the high school $250,000 for the STEM curriculum, was especially helpful. He financed the purchase of a computer numerical control a milling machine, a CNC router table and a CNC plasma table — high-tech equipment that the team could use to manufacture the components of their robots.
The donation also paid for training for 25 RSU teachers on improved STEM teaching methods and for two teachers from Bucksport to become math coaches.
Tripp said the robotics team’s success has helped attract students to more STEM departments at the school, which in turn helps graduates land jobs in science and technology. When students see the fun aspects of applied science through building and operating robots, it opens their eyes to possibilities beyond high school, he said.
“For me, that’s more important than test scores,” the principal said. “Teenagers love competition. It’s great to be on the robotics team.”
Tripp said the team has not yet been officially invited to compete in Houston, but they expect to hear back soon.
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Bucksport robotics team eyes international competition after Rhode Island win
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