Northborough/Southborough – The Algonquin Regional High School Robotics Team “T-Hawks” has once again been recognized as a model for other teams with the prestigious For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Chairman's Award. They took home the award from the district competition held at Rhode Island's Bryant University March 21-22.
The Chairman's Award is the most prestigious award given by FIRST Robotics, an organization that hopes to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in mentor-based programs. It honors the team that “best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purposes and goals of FIRST.”
The team earned the award in recognition of its year-round efforts to inspire younger students to become interested in science and technology through a variety of community-based activities. These included demonstrations in various locations; participating in Northborough's Applefest and Southborough's Heritage Day; providing visitors with hands-on experiences driving robots; mentoring younger FIRST teams, including hosting a FIRST Lego League competition; organizing Algonquin's first Science Day to showcase ARHS's STEM-related clubs (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); and holding a Build Your Own Robot event for students in grades 3 through 6.
To compete for the Chairman's Award, the team wrote a 10,000-character essay describing its activities and also created and produced a video showcasing the activities and philosophy of the team. The effort was capped off by a presentation to the judges at the district competition. The award qualified the team to go on to the next round of competition, the district championships, held at Boston University April 10-12.
Algonquin Robotics FIRST Team has been transforming the lives of students at ARHS since 2002 with the support of the school, the team's faculty advisor George Clarke, lead mentor Dan Strickland, and the dedicated cadre of mentors, many of whom have stayed on long after their own children graduated. The team's activities would also not be possible without its corporate sponsors, including the Dow Chemical Company and Boston Scientific.
To learn more about Algonquin Robotics FIRST Team 1100, visit the team's website http://www.team1100.org.
To become a sponsor, contact [email protected].
