Diverse teams from Wolverhampton to Newcastle-under-Lyme competed to showcase their hard work building a robot from scratch and overcoming the many obstacles that come with a challenge of such scale. Seven teams from the West Midlands took to the stage to compete amongst 42 of the UK’s top youth robotics teams at the FIRST Tech Challenge UK Championship.
Team Earth, Wind & Wire from created Academy School, an alternative education provider from Stoke-on-Trent, received the national Judges Award for their ‘humble genius’. The judges announced, “Coming from humble beginnings, demonstrating a passion to succeed whatever the challenge, overcoming all obstacles to deliver a working design and demonstrating the genius within, the judges chose to give the Humble Genius award to this small team of two hoping you continue to believe in yourselves.”
Earth, Wind & Wire also shone on the game field, ranking 6th in their 21-team division.
The team faced significant challenges at their qualifying tournament when their robot’s tech failed to connect during matches. However, the team showed unwavering determination as they fixed any challenge they faced, which earned them a wildcard place at the championship.
The West Midlands was well-represented at the UK Championship, demonstrating the breadth of STEM talent in the region and the value of actively investing in young people. Some other teams competing for awards included:
Wet Socks, Dry Socks from Bishop Perowne C of E College in Worcester – the team shared, “We blew away the judges in the regional qualifiers, who commented on the level of detail in each aspect of our work, alongside the clearly defined and effective roles carried out by each member.”
SnapWire at Perton Middle School in Wolverhampton “The regional qualifiers were a big step for us – we had only just started robotics, were part of the winning alliance and were also awarded the Design Award. As a team, we’ve gained confidence in ourselves because of these achievements.”
Circuit Breakers Vol 3 from St John Fisher Catholic College in Newcastle-under-Lyme “We are a team of six year-11 and 12 students hoping to inspire others and help them realise there’s a space for them in STEM. We are really proud of the first Tech Challenge UK legacy at our school and have made it our mission to continue this by mentoring other teams and running outreach events across schools and the city.”
VNATION from St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy in Stoke-on-Trent “Our goal is to show Stoke-on-Trent that there’s a home for everyone in STEM! We’re proud of the work we have put into our primary school outreach sessions, teaching younger children about STEM.”
Robotic Hart at The Hart School in Rugeley “We believe in the power of teamwork, regardless of the backgrounds and ages of our team members. We have faced many challenges when building our robot however, we enjoyed being part of the excitement and are very proud of what we have achieved.”
Wire Wolves from Woodhouse Academy in Stoke-on-Trent “We are a passionate team of young innovators and engineers. We have worked tirelessly throughout the season, overcoming challenges, learning new skills and collaborating as a team to design and build our robot, Frank!”
Organised by FIRST Tech Challenge UK, which is part of the global FIRST movement, this year’s challenge followed an arts theme: ‘CENTERSTAGE’. Teams’ robots were thoughtfully designed to complete complex tasks on the game field and team members devised careful strategies to maximise their points when working in an alliance with other teams. The challenge is not only a test of technical skill but also young people’s ability to collaborate and problem-solve in a high-pressure environment. FIRST Tech Challenge UK is ‘More Than Robots’.
With a track record for driving participation from underrepresented and underserved young people, FIRST Tech Challenge UK celebrates diversity and inclusion in STEM. This year’s participants consisted of 44% girls and non-binary students, 20% students with special educational needs and neurodiversity, and 41% from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Patrice John-Baptiste, Head of Impact and Engagement at FIRST UK said, “This championship is so much more than robots – it’s a testament to how industry-backed STEM education initiatives can successfully reach and impact students from all backgrounds. There’s no limit to a young person’s potential; by fostering an environment where they can belong and feel empowered to tackle hard things, we’ll see a future of more resilient and well-rounded young people in STEM beyond. A huge congratulations to the teams in the West Midlands for their countless successes this season.”
The 2023-24 FIRST Tech Challenge UK season has now concluded. Applications are open for new teams to start in September 2024 with funded provision available. Interested schools and youth groups can visit firstuk.org/take-part to join or find out more.
By Vicki Mileson – Contributor