Mater Christi School now has a FIRST robotics team (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and will be competing in the championship at the Vermont FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) on Saturday, February 27 at the UVM Davis Center.

In preparation for the challenge, students in grades 7-12 work together in teams to build and program a robot to compete against other teams. The students need to make a robot they can drive by a remote control Android Phone as well as program the robot to run a set course independently. Afterwards, there are many other challenges to gain more points, but the goal for the MCS team this first year is to make it through the basics.

Guided by Tricia Finkle, makerspace director, and Mike Early, technology director, the students meet twice a week to develop skills working together. MCS Parent, Bill Liang, as well as other volunteers, have come in to teach programming and robotics. Through a grant the school acquired a kit of mechanical parts, Android phones, motors, gears, wheels, etc. After the competition next month the school can keep the kit and do other activities with it as the students already have ideas outside the scope of the challenge they would like to try. For more information, visit http://www.firstinspires.org/

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