After a huge win at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship, the Orange Grove Middle Hurricanes have earned a spot at the FIRST World Championship this month in Houston, Texas. The Hurricanes will compete against 224 teams from across the world representing around 30 countries. The team is comprised of four Orange Grove middle students and four high school students (all Orange Grove alumni).
In FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), teams are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots in order to compete in head-to-head challenges. Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team. Each competition season comes with different gameplay, challenges, and rules. This season, students are tasked with building a robot that can pick up 3 inch “pixels” and deliver them to a 22 inch high “backdrop”. The robot must be able to reach up and suspend itself off rigging that is 22 inches off of the ground while being able to drive under trusses that are 12 inches high.
The team was selected as the 2024 Inspire Award Winner at the State Championships in March. This is the top award given out to the best all-around team in all the categories of Design (Function and Form), Promote (Promoting FIRST Robotics), Connect (Connect with STEM community), Innovation (Inventive problem solving), Think (Engineering process), Control (Sensors) and Motivate (Outreach to the community) and qualified them to attend the World Championships. “It shows how our team's hard work and dedication really paid off with us winning this prestigious award,” said teammate Cora Wilson.
These eight students and their four coaches will fly with their robot to Houston for the FIRST World Championship that begins on April 17th.
“Getting to meet teams from all over the world with similar interests and collaborating with them is a unique experience that we will cherish for the rest of our lives,” said team member Zoey Annibale.
The Hurricanes are fundraising for the trip, with the help of their school. Donations or company sponsorships can be made via the school website here: (include ROBOTICS in comments) https://ogcs.revtrak.net/Donations/