Titan Robotics Teams Wins Chesapeake District Engineering Inspiration Award. (Photo: Majlis Walker and Andy Fisher)
ALEXANDRIA, VA- The T.C. Williams FIRST Robotics Team, Titan Robotics (FRC 5587), competed in the FIRST Chesapeake District Championship April 11-13, 2019, at the EagleBank Arena at George Mason University. The team advanced from district competition, qualifying for the FIRST Championship in Detroit by winning the Chesapeake District Engineering Inspiration Award, one of the most prestigious awards in FIRST.
The FIRST Championship is the world’s largest celebration of STEM for students. The 2019 event brings together tens of thousands of students from around the world who participate in FIRST K-12 robotics programs – along with the educators, industry professionals, sponsors, organizations, and colleges/universities who support them – for a celebration of STEM inspiration.
The Titan’s “Guilloutina” with cargo competing at the event. (Photo: Majlis Walker and Andy Fisher)
At the District Championship, Titan Robotics competed well with their robot, qualifying for the semifinals, but was narrowly edged out of the elimination tournament in a tie breaking match. Out of the 126 teams in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, only the top 58 advance to the District Championship and only the top 21 advance to the FIRST Championship. Due to both Titan Robotics’ robot performance and awards, they finished 16th in the district, qualifying to the FIRST Championship both through their district ranking and the Engineering Inspiration award, which is an automatic invite.
Titan Robotics’ FIRST Chesapeake District Engineering Inspiration award “celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization and community.” The criteria include the extent and inventiveness of the team’s efforts to recruit students to engineering; the extent and effectiveness of the team’s community outreach efforts, and a commitment to science and technology education among the team, school, and community over the course of a year, not just during build season.
Titan Robotics developed an outreach strategy that includes starting and mentoring FIRST teams at ACPS middle and elementary schools and developing five summer camps. In addition, students run robot demos and STEM activities at community events and engage local businesses to help sponsor their activities. The team charges no fees to its participants, so it applies to grants from local and national corporations to fund their team’s operating costs. Most recently, Titan Robotics helped six Title 1 schools in ACPS apply for robotics and computer science grants through Amazon’s Future Engineer Robotics Grant program. All six schools received funding and will be starting FIRST Lego League teams in the fall.
FIRST ( For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. FIRST participation is proven to encourage students to pursue education and careers in STEM-related fields, inspire them to become leaders and innovators, and enhance their 21st century work-life skills.
The Titan Robotics Boosters, a registered 501(c)(3), wishes to thank our sponsors: NAVSEA, Lockheed Martin, Alexandria City Public Schools, Boeing, Google, Comcast, Intuitive Surgical, Wiygul Automotive, and many local Alexandria restaurants.
