Two Bridgeport students are among those impacting the international world of robotics.  After winning the World Championship last year at the St. Louis Einstein Field Competition, Randy Keener and Madelyn Sorensen are now permanently in the FIRST Robotics Hall of Fame.  The duo is part of the West Virginia Mountaineer Area RoboticS (MARS) program, which utilizes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities to inspire youth in underserved areas around the world.

 

Student participants from five counties make up the 38-person team, with each member traveling to Morgantown three times each week to work long hours designing, constructing, wiring and programming robots in response to an international game challenge.  The program is part of NASA’s initiative to train students in problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.

 

“The students have been working up to eighteen hours at a time every weekend and on Wednesdays,” said MARS Head Coach Earl Scime. “It allows them to put into action the concepts they are learning in their science and math classes and to improve the processes needed for discovery and improvement.”

 

Keener and Sorensen first became involved with robotics through the First Lego League (FLL) program offered through the Harrison County 4-H Extension Office and furthered their experience through the Zero Robotics program offered through Learning Options. 

 

“Being a part of this team has allowed me to work directly with coaches who are the best in their field,” said Keener.  “It’s been great to have a positive spotlight on West Virginia and the impact we are making on STEM-related research and development.”

 

Thirty coaches work with the MARS team participants at the West Virginia University Physics and Astronomy Building and one of those coaches helped organize Congressman David McKinley’s visit to the Science Bowl at WVU this year.  While in town, McKinley also paid a visit to the MARS team, where he witnessed the innovative projects and the process through which the students create the robots.  He spoke about providing additional funding for STEM programs and the importance of such programs at the national level.

 

Soon after demonstrating their ability for McKinley, the team travelled to Myrtle Beach for the Palmetto Competition, where they placed first in the region.  They have three more competitions this season, beginning with the Smoky Mountain Regional at the end of March.  From there, they will advance to the Buckeye Regional Competition and finally to the FIRST Championship Competition in Detroit, Michigan in April.

 

“The skill of these students is incredible,” said Scime. “They are dedicated to improving and applying new concepts to make competitive robotics and to increase their knowledge of science and math.  I am very proud of each and every one of them.”