Industry Support Elevates L.C. Bird Robotics Team to World Championship
L.C. Bird High School’s RoboHawks robotics team has leveraged industry sponsorships from BluePrint Automation and PMMI through the PMMI U Skills Fund to compete globally.
The Virginia-based robotics team paved its path to the upcoming “Worlds” Championship in Houston, Texas, with an impressive performance in the Chesapeake District Championship, where it secured third place.
“The excitement is real,” says Katy Clarke, RoboHawks faculty sponsor and teacher at L.C. Bird, as the students prepare for their trip to the April 17-20 competition.
“Our robot hit challenges it has never hit before; we were down in 22nd place at one point, and it got very dicey,” Clarke recalls from the District Championship. “It was definitely a tale of perseverance.”
Industry Support as a Catalyst for Success
The RoboHawks’ journey to Worlds was made possible by a collaborative sponsorship between BluePrint Automation (BPA) and PMMI.
BPA and PMMI's collaborative sponsorship helps the RoboHawks as they travel to Houston, Texas, for the First Robotics Championship.Just before the District Championship, three RoboHawks team members presented their robot design and the challenge ahead to BPA executives. At the end of the presentation, BPA offered $12,500 to help the team on its trip to Worlds. PMMI matched that donation through the PMMI U Skills Fund for a total of $25,000 to assist the RoboHawks.
“Without that [financial support], I genuinely can tell you we would not be having the number of students going that we have going,” Clarke says. “We have 24 students going to Houston, and many of them are flying for the first time, so we’re very excited and grateful for it.”
BPA is continuing to back the team in the long-term by offering its manufacturing capabilities for next year’s competition. As the team designs its robot for next year, they will be able to send CAD drawings to BPA, and the company will manufacture the parts at no cost.
The partnership between the RoboHawks and their industry sponsors is a prime example of how external support can propel educational programs to new heights and inspire the next generation of engineers.
“PMMI has a very strong ownership in developing the future workforce through the PMMI U Skills Fund,” explains Dana Greenly, director of member outreach at PMMI. “The goal is to equate what Katy’s team is doing to robotics and packaging, and to make sure that we have a talent pool that is available to our member companies. We hope that through this, [students] will remember PMMI and the companies that are sponsoring their team as they go out and look for employment.”
With backing from BPA and PMMI, the RoboHawks are poised for success at the FIRST Robotics Championship, showcasing the tangible impact of industry support on educational initiatives and student inspiration.
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