Some kids battle for greatness on the football field. Others find glory on the stage. For members of North Allegheny's robotics club, bragging rights are won at the Baierl Center.
On Feb. 23, hundreds of middle and high school students from throughout the tri-state area gathered in Wexford for the third annual VEX Robotics Competition. The budding engineers spent months designing, building and testing their robots, which are made with VEX robotics technology, a platform that teaches kids about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The robots competed in 12-foot-by-12-foot areas and were tasked with moving and stacking cones in the ring.
A five-member team from NAI joined the multitude of teams to compete, have fun and learn.
NA began hosting the competition several years ago as a way to incorporate robotics into the district's curriculum.
“It grabs a niche of kids and gives them an opportunity to prove themselves,” technology and engineering teacher Heath Lauster says of the competition. “It's introducing STEM at a middle school-level and helping more kids take an interest.”
Kristy Locklin is a Tribune-Review contributor.
