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2 United teams to compete in county robotics event

HANOVERTON — United Local Elementary will have two teams competing in the county robotics competition next month.

The club, comprised of two four-member teams from the sixth grade, will test their robotic and programming skills against other Columbiana County schools on May 11 in Lisbon.

The teams shared their programming and robots with the school board last week, explaining what the club is and what the team members have learned.

With funding from the Leetonia Manufacturing Academy, supplied with approximately $9,000 remaining from an Local Government Innovative Fund (LGIF) grant to pilot the manufacturing academy in 2017, the robotics club is one of many others across the county to take advantage of the funds offered as well as receiving a Vex Robot and professional development. The club also collected a $500 grant from Colfor for programming to assist with the club.

“Credit needs to be given to Leetonia Schools Superintendent Rob Mehno, who made these funds available,” said United Schools Superintendent Lance Hostetler.

The Vex Robot provides hands-on curriculum to develop problem solving skills and learn programming foundations, according to Mehno.

With the Vex Robot, students will learn to assemble the robot, plus the programming curriculum to prepare the robot for autonomous tasks. The robot will also have to be modified for competition, which will incorporate fundamentals such as math by requiring students to program distances.

“VEX kits inspire students to become the problem solvers of the future. The VEX EDR system creates the excitement of building robots to immerse students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts,” said Rob Smith, consultant for IST Ohio, which provided the robot kits. “VEX EDR can be integrated into the classroom or used as a stand-alone teaching tool in after-school robotics clubs. Versatile construction elements allow for multiple solutions to accomplish the same goal. The vex components are built around each other to ensure seamless integration without frustration.

“The competition provides the platform that enables students to strive to be what they want to be. They compete at regional, then state, and if they are up to the challenge, even qualify and compete at VEX worlds. The VEX Competition provides multiple learning skills both hard and soft-skills. Teamwork is key. We are generating the workforce for the future.”

At United, students had to apply for participation in the club. They had to submit written essays and provide teacher recommendations to participate.

Under the guidance of Beth McGaffick, math teacher; Kelly Deville, math and science teacher; Andrea Groubert, literacy coach; Amy White, math and science teacher; and Karrie Varagliotti, elementary librarian, the teams of Robotaholics, consisting of Addyson Blazer, Ma’Kayla Hancox, Mati Zines and Katie Dees; and the Robonauts, consisting of Maddox French, Louden Stryffeler, Nate Hall and Justus Lewand have been working on the project twice a week during lunch and recess.

The club advisors said they hope to continue the robotics club at various grade levels, as well as incorporate more STEM curriculum in their classrooms.

khowell@salemnews.net

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