With an incredibly successful season so far, robotics teams at CT STEM Academy in Wallingford are currently preparing for this year’s VEX Robotics World Championship.
The VEX IQ program at the academy is relatively small, spanning 22 students across six teams of eager students from Wallingford, New Haven, and Hamden, Connecticut.
Director of the VEX IQ program Ms. Laura Juarez said, “We’re really serving all of Connecticut right now.”
The program strives to develop students’ passion for STEM, regardless of their experience. Students can explore any aspect of robotics, such as coding or building, depending on their interests and strengths. Some students joined the program without prior interest in pursuing STEM.
Brandon, a member of the middle school division, claimed he joined because “it was a summer day, and [he] was bored.” On the other hand, Phillip, from the same division, wants to pursue robotics outside of school and travel for tournaments.
The program kicks off around late September to early October and continues through January, with practices occurring from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.
According to Ms. Juarez, the challenge of the year is presented each new year, when the planning process commences. “Soon after, [the kids] start putting the robot together, and it starts coming to life. Once the construction is done, they start the coding stage.”
Large competitions happen every other weekend in January, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, with occasional scrimmages in between.
Despite its size, the program has made a great impact on the robotics community. In the finals, the elementary team won first place for their design and teamwork, and the middle school team won the Think Award for their creative design.
With such impressive achievements at competitions large enough to host up to 50 other teams, both the A and C teams earned their tickets to the World Championship.
This, however, did not come without its struggles. Leo, a ten-year-old member of the elementary division, found the State Championship challenging. Their robot faced an unexpected malfunction of a pulley device and fortunately were able to improvise as a team. Leo said, “In the end, it was very dramatic.”
Teamwork was vital to both teams’ victories. Sam, a member of the middle school C team, said, “Our robot itself wasn’t bad, but compared to some of the other robots in the tournament, it seemed outclassed in some areas. What really kept us going was … good teamwork.”
Emphasizing their effort, another member shared, “A lot of us, we went to extra practices that you didn’t need to attend.”
To prepare for the World Championship, the teams are currently working to raise money for their traveling expenses via GoFundMe while also continuing bonding activities.
CT STEM Academy hosted an end-of-year breakfast to celebrate the program’s successful season. With over 150 people in attendance, every family and sponsor contributed to funding the breakfast.
Ms. Juarez has big plans for the program. She would not only love to expand the program as a whole, but also increase the number of female competitors involved.
“The last time I sent an all-girls team [to Worlds] was in 2019. I hope to get a girls team out there in Texas for next year’s,” Ms. Juarez said.
For those who would like to learn more about robotics before the team tryouts, the CT STEM Academy hosts an intensive one-week-long summer program open to various skill levels.
The team is thriving, with members confidently cheering, “We’re gonna win World’s.” With their success, teamwork, and willpower this past season, everyone wishes them the best of luck.
