Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics was in competition in this 2018 photo. (Supplied) 
Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program during a recent “scrimmage” preparing for this weekend’s competition. (Supplied) 
Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program during a recent “scrimmage” preparing for this weekend’s competition. (Supplied) 
Two members of the Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program. (Supplied) 
Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program during a recent “scrimmage” preparing for this weekend’s competition. (Supplied)
By WKTV Staff
When it comes to getting young students engaged with robotics as part of their STEM technology education — including Kentwood Public Schools Red Storm Robotics program — it can’t wait for high school.
So Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program will send its teams, five of them, against others schools when it hosts the FIRST Tech Challenge Kentwood qualifier, hosted by Red Storm Robotics, on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The challenge will take place at the East Kentwood Freshman Campus, 6170 Valley Lane Dr. SE, and the public is invited to the free event. (There was no in-person challenge in 2020 due to the pandemic. There was a virtual challenge.)
“I’ve been impressed with the FIRST robotics programs,” Wendy Ljungren, Chief Operating Officer for Anzen Unmanned and one of the adult leader of Red Storm Robotics, said to WKTV. “The students that go through FIRST have the STEM and teamwork skills needed for our country to continue to advance.”
The FIRST Tech Challenge is a national program of FIRST Inspires where “students learn to think like engineers,” according to program material. Teams design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by Android technology, and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming.
This year’s tech challenge, Freight Frenzy, is presented by Raytheon Technologies and will have students race against time to transport “essential goods and explore the future of transportation,” according to supplied material.
For more informant on the First Inspires program visit firstinspires.org/robotics.
For more information on the Read Storm Robotics program visit redstormrobotics.com.
