KALISPELL, MT – A robotics team from Kalispell, Montana, is gearing up for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston, Texas, but faces a significant fundraising challenge to make the trip a reality. The RoboScout Squad, an all-girls team, earned their spot at the competition after winning the robot game at the Montana FTC Championship on .
The FIRST Tech Challenge is designed to foster STEM education by challenging students to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a team-based engineering challenge. The World Championship, which will host over 300 teams from around the globe, provides a platform for these students to showcase their skills and innovation. This year’s competition will see teams learn, compete, and demonstrate their robotic creations.
The RoboScout Squad’s robot, affectionately named “Bandit,” is a 30-pound machine that represents months of dedicated work by the team. “It’s just been a whole lot of fun, just working on everything, figuring out how to get different things to work,” said Aubrey Hardwick, a member of the RoboScout Squad. The team’s coach, Dennis Dortch, expressed his excitement about returning to the World Championship, having previously attended last year. “I went to the world championships last year, and I am so excited to go back and do it again,” Dortch said.
However, the journey to Houston isn’t simply a matter of technical prowess. The team needs to raise approximately $27,000 within a nine-week timeframe to cover travel expenses, equipment transportation, and accommodation for the week-long competition. This substantial sum presents a considerable hurdle, but the team is actively seeking support from the Flathead Valley community and beyond.
So far, the team has raised around $4,500 through initial fundraising efforts. “We could not do this without a great deal of support from our family, our friends, community business leaders and people who genuinely see the value in what we’re doing here and what these kids are learning. We are very very appreciative,” explained Krista Nunnally, a coach for the RoboScout Squad. The team is accepting donations through their GoFundMe account, as well as through checks and business sponsorships.
The FIRST Tech Challenge differs from the FIRST Lego League, as highlighted by a separate report concerning West Valley School’s “Gummy Sharks” team. The Gummy Sharks, representing West Valley School, are preparing to compete in the FIRST Lego League World Championships, also in Houston. While both are FIRST programs aimed at STEM education, the Lego League focuses on younger students and utilizes Lego-based robotics, while the Tech Challenge is geared towards older students and allows for more complex robot designs and programming. Hap Pemble, a sixth-grade student on the Gummy Sharks team, noted the team’s excitement, stating, “It’s a big step, we’re the first team in this school to go, so a lot of excitement going around.” Pemble’s work centers on innovation, board design, and research.
The RoboScout Squad’s participation in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship is particularly noteworthy as they are Montana’s only all-girls team in the competition. This distinction underscores the importance of encouraging female participation in STEM fields. According to the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, the FIRST program provides students with hands-on experience in engineering and programming, alongside crucial soft skills such as public speaking, marketing, and teamwork. These skills are vital for developing the next generation of STEM leaders.
Coco Vick, a member of the RoboScout Squad, expressed her enthusiasm about the opportunity to represent her community on a national stage. “It would definitely be such an honor and I would love to be able represent to Flathead and Montana as a whole at the world championship,” she said. The team’s success is a testament to their dedication and the support of the Flathead Valley community, and their journey to the World Championship promises to be an inspiring example of STEM education in action.
The FIRST Tech Challenge emphasizes not only technical skills but also the importance of perseverance and learning from failures. As the Montana High Tech Business Alliance points out, the program teaches students to “fail fast and persevere,” a valuable lesson applicable to all aspects of life. The RoboScout Squad’s fundraising efforts and preparation for the World Championship embody this spirit of resilience and determination.
