Cybergirls go to provincials
Clearview’s Cybergirls Team has qualified for the VEX Robotics Provincial Championships.
During the competition season members of the Cybergirls VEX team have designed and built a robot to participate in a competitive game called Starstruck. The object is to launch soft cubes and stars over a fence onto the opponent’s side while preventing them from doing the same. Teams are selected for the championships based on their highest score in programming, and skills relating to how they manoeuver the robot.
The all-girls team (ages 11-18) has worked through a couple of technical issues and is in top form as they head into the championships Feb. 25. Winners will advance to the world championships in Louisville, Kentucky.
In their first year of competition, the team qualified for the provincial championships, where it won two judges awards.
New this year, Cybergirls formed a junior team for girls aged 9-12. They hosted a VEX IQ competition at the Creemore Legion Feb. 4, welcoming 22 teams from the GTA and all over Ontario.
Team mentor Gary Page said the Cybergirls’ alliance placed sixth out of eight but the girls were really excited about the competition and emerged more determined than ever.
The VEX IQ program, for elementary and middle school aged children, encourages critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills and the Cybergirls programs are designed to encourage girls to continue with their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related fields.
Meanwhile, the Cybergnomes, the mixed gender FIRST Robotics team of high school students, is preparing to reveal its robot at a launch event Feb. 23. This year’s game has a steam power theme. Participants use their robots to collect fuel and install gears before climbing aboard an airship.
The Cybergnomes Spaghetti Supper and Silent Auction will be at the New Lowell Legion on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The team will be raising funds and showing off this year’s robot before heading to its first competition in Oshawa on March 3.
Volunteer judges are needed for the FIRST Robotics competition at Georgian College in Barrie March 24-26. Contact Page at page.graphics@sympatico.ca or judge coordinator John Shaw at firstontjudges@gmail.com. For more information visit, www.cybergnomes.ca.
