Local students go head-to-head in national robotics competition – WHAG

EMMITSBURG, Md. - All eyes were on the PNC Mount Saint Mary's Sports Complex as 48 robotics teams and over 500 middle and high school students compete in Maryland's first tech challenge championship.

Students practiced hands on STEMactivities then teamed up to build driving robots. These teams went through 6 qualifying tournaments to make it to this championship.

"These little particles and putting them into center vortexes to earn points and capping balls and moving stuff around on the field while being cooperative so competing and being cooperative with the people they're competing against" , said Zachary Trautwein, a STEM teacher at Southern Garrett high school.

The first tech challenge program is designed to inspire students to become technology and engineering innovators.

"Trying to build robots that's are eighteen by eighteen to compete with a certain challenge since then. And were at the state championship to see who will move on to super regionals to see who will go on to St Louis in April", said Mariah Bolden, a STEM student at Southern Garrett high school.

"This is a great opportunity for the students its shows that we as a society values science and engineering. It gives them a place to showcase their skills, they're going to do stuff here that they probably aren't doing in school in regular science class.", said Jeffrey Simmons, the Dean of Natural Science and Math at Mount Saint Mary's University.

In this program, the students are also strongly encouraged to work as a team to cooperate to foster a culture of gracious professionalism.

The top competitive teams will advance to compete at the final robotics championship held in St. Louis in April of this year.

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Local students go head-to-head in national robotics competition - WHAG