Showing posts with label robotics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robotics. Show all posts

Robotics Championship unites schools and promotes inclusion and diversity

Monday, November 6, 2017

According to a recent NPR study, nearly half of employable young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are unemployed.

For perspective, only 26% of employable young adults without ASD are unemployed. This represents the sizable disparity between opportunities available for students with, and without, ASD and/or intellectual disabilities.

Using a competitive robotics program as a tool to close this opportunity gap, Special Olympics Unified Robotics will host the 2017 Unified Robotics Championship at the Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave N, Seattle.

The event is from 11:30am - 5:00pm on Sunday, November 12, 2017 where 40 teams from local schools will face off in the Championship Tournament.

Each team, comprised of an equal number of students with and without disabilities, will compete with their personally designed robots for the Championship title.

Teams will also be recognized for creativity, work ethic, and sportsmanship.

The event will serve as a celebration of the dedication of the Unified Robotics teams to developing ingenious, creative and effective robots.

Special guests include Will Daugherty, Dave Lenox, and Erin McCallum - all of whom will serve as VIP judges.

In 2016, Seattle made history with the first ever Special Olympics Unified Robotics program. Engineered to promote inclusion and ignite a passion for STEM through the sport of robotics, the program allows students to participate in the movement toward neuro-diverse hiring policies and community-wide inclusion. Today, this program has exponentially grown at the national level, and is in at least five states.

“If you think this is just about robotics, you’re missing the point. It’s not about the robot, it’s about social change, acceptance, and inclusion.”
- Noelle Foster, Program Director, and mother of founder Delaney Foster

Delaney and Kendall Foster
Overall, the championship represents founder Delaney Foster’s vision to expose students of all abilities to STEM possibilities through robotics.

Inspired by her sister Kendall, who is on the autism spectrum, Delaney designed the program as an avenue for STEM exploration and empowerment while she was a student at King's in Shoreline.

The Unified Robotics team hopes that this year’s championship will further deconstruct barriers and encourage inclusion.

In addition to the main championship, there will be an Opportunity Fair aimed at exposing high school students to various career-and-education-based pathways. The championship’s events will be open to the public, allowing museum visitors to learn more about the program. Additional information may be found at unifiedrobotics.org

Local schools participating are King's High School and Shoreline Community College.



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Unified Robotics Kickoff: A Chance to Participate in Change

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Eva Taylor of Unified Robotics
Photo by Andrew LaPrade
Would you like to foster equity? 

From 6:00-8:00pm on Tuesday the 19th of September, Unified Robotics will host its second annual kickoff event at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

The event will serve as an introduction to the inclusion-based program, which bolsters STEM participation, self-esteem, and leadership amongst students with and without intellectual disabilities.

Last year the introductory event saw an unprecedented amount of demonstrated interest, and the team hopes to receive a similar response this year.

The timetable of the event will include workshops, testimonials, and a spirited game demonstration. Instruction will be given regarding how to start a team, foster inclusion in schools, and build and program a competition-ready robot.

Potential participants will have the opportunity to dine and discuss robotics in a building dedicated to the exploration of STEM fields. Before the main presentation on the logistics of starting a team, Special Olympics Unified Robotics will provide a dinner free of charge.

Overall, the event will serve as a testament to founder Delaney Foster’s vision. Inspired by her sister Kendall, who is on the autism spectrum, Delaney developed the program with the goal of encouraging participation and opportunity in STEM. On September 19th, any individual interested in the program will have the opportunity to attend and further support this vision.

Email for more information or contact Student lead Andrew LaPrade and program mentor Noelle Foster. Additional information may be found at the website.

--Sammy Murphy 



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Local high school student named "Dean's List" finalist in international robotics competition

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Madeleine Schwitters
FIRST Robotics (FRC) Team 4911 CyberKnights, a robotics team from King’s High School, is proud to announce that Madeleine Schwitters has been named a FIRST Dean’s List Finalist at the PNW District Championships in Cheney, WA.

Madeleine will now represent the team and the Pacific Northwest Region at the World Championships in Houston, TX. Winners will be announced on April 21, 2017 during a luncheon with Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST Robotics, and namesake of this prestigious award.

The Dean’s List Award began in 2010 to celebrate outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary. In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the FIRST most outstanding FRC students, the Kamen family sponsors this award for the selected top students.

The FIRST Dean’s List Award is awarded to a current student leader who has led their FIRST Robotics Competition team and communities to increase awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment, and who will be great leaders of FIRST’s ever growing student alumni.

Madeleine was nominated by CyberKnights coach and King’s High School teacher Mike Thompson because of her natural ability and interest in building, leading groups, programming robots and passion for ensuring every student has the opportunity to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

She has held numerous leadership roles on her FRC and FTC teams including Drive Captain, Mill Lead and CAD Lead for Critical Systems. She coaches an FLL team, started a Special Olympics Unified Robotics team and mentors at robotics summer camps. She devotes about 30 hours per week to the team and outreach events, while maintaining a 3.96 GPA in mainly AP and college-prep courses.

“I was honored to be nominated for this award and be recognized first as a semi-finalist and now as a finalist,” said Madeleine. 
“FIRST has inspired me to pursue engineering, understand the importance of STEM and ensure everyone has access to STEM education. I look forward to representing my team and the PNW region at the FIRST Robotics World Championships.”

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King's High School Robotics to present at national conference in Houston Apr 21

Friday, April 7, 2017

Robotics program for students with and without special needs
Photo by Noelle Foster

FRC Team 4911 CyberKnights, a robotics team from King’s High School, is proud to announce they will be leading a conference on Special Olympics Unified Robotics at the FIRST Robotics World Championships in Houston, Texas.

This session will introduce Special Olympics Unified Robotics, a robotics program for students with and without special needs, to FIRST Robotics teams from around the world. The session will demonstrate how Unified Robotics helps bridge the achievement gap by empowering students with special needs to participate in robotics, to be involved in a STEM program, and to develop important life skills including self-confidence, communication and leadership.

Special Olympics Unified Robotics was started by a member of the CyberKnights who was inspired by her sister with autism. She recognized that students with special needs often have constrained access to engineering and programming classes because of staff support requirements and significant modifications. Unified Robotics is an unprecedented accepting and hands-on way to introduce these students to STEM concepts.

“By offering this club to a diverse population of students, we can broaden their interests and experiences in STEM-related activities, as well as teach them basic life and job skills that will open more doors in their futures,” said Noelle Foster, CyberKnights mentor. 
“In addition to introducing programming and engineering concepts to a population of students not typically engaged in these areas, Unified Robotics is an educational and leadership experience for every student involved.”

Conference attendees will learn:

•       The importance of Unified Robotics
•       How to start a Unified Robotics program at their school
•       How to fund the program
•       Marketing and public relationships
•       Recruiting tips
•       The personal impact it has made on past participants

 “Our goal is to expand Unified Robotics so that every high school student has access to robotics,” said Mike Thompson, CyberKnights coach and King’s High School teacher. 
“We wish to share our experiences and spread awareness of the importance of this program with FIRST Robotics teams everywhere. We will provide support and instruction on how to start this program at other schools. Participants will learn how this program is beneficial and impactful for all members involved.”

The conference will be held in Houston, Texas on Friday, April 21. The session will be led by a panel of students, mentors and coaches impacted by Unified Robotics including Mike Thompson, Noelle Foster and students Jane Yi, Joanne Yi, Laurie Machida, Eneya Kwesele, Madeleine Schwitters, and Eva Lu.



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King's High School student strengthens family bonds through Unified Robotics

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Madeleine and Gabi with their Lego Robot
Photo courtesy Unified Robotics


As a student with special needs, Gabi Stansberry has struggled with many things that most 14-year-old girls her age take for granted. Finding friends with common interests, having opportunities to try new things, and being included in a society that doesn’t understand her uniqueness have been constant challenges.

After living in Oregon for most of her life, Gabi recently moved back to the Seattle area and is a freshman at Mariner High School in the Mukilteo School District. She was excited to get to know her extended family, especially her cousin Madeleine who is currently a junior at King’s High School in Shoreline.

Madeleine is a member of the CyberKnights, a FIRST Washington Robotics Team from King’s Schools. In 2015, one of her teammates started Unified Robotics, a robotics program for students with and without intellectual disabilities, as a way to connect with her sister who had been diagnosed with Autism. (See previous story)

Madeleine and Gabi in their
competition uniforms
Photo courtesy Unified Robotics
Madeleine immediately thought of Gabi and how much fun it would be for the two of them to build and program a robot together. Up until then, Madeleine didn’t know how to connect with Gabi and was even a bit scared to try because she didn’t know how to navigate her disabilities.

When Madeleine asked Gabi if she wanted to form a robotics team together, Gabi quickly agreed. At the time, she probably didn’t know exactly what she was agreeing to but she knew it meant she got to spend time with her cousin.

The first step for Madeleine and Gabi was to form a team, which is not an easy feat. Each team needs a coach, mentor, LEGO EV3 kit for building the robot, and a computer for programming. There’s also the expense of team uniforms and a practice field.

Determined to make it happen without the support of a school or organization, Madeleine used her Christmas money to buy the LEGO kit and purchased robot themed dresses and leggings for them to wear as a uniform.

They became known as the Metallic Cousins and registered as a team.

Over a 6-week period, Gabi and Madeleine proceeded to build a battle-bot style robot out of LEGOS with the goal to push another robot out of the ring. It proved to be difficult at times as Madeleine learned how to communicate with Gabi and also keep her on task.

Madeleine and Gabi at theUnified Robotics World Championship at the Pacific Science Center
Photo courtesy Unified Robotics


But the joy on Gabi’s face when their robot came alive the first time was worth every moment. The season culminated with the cousins competing at the Special Olympics Unified Robotics World Championship at the Pacific Science Center in December 2016.

“As the competition grew closer, Gabi became more and more excited,” said Jami Stansberry, Gabi’s mother. “The first thing she would ask me every morning was if today was the day to do robots. She even came out of her room ready for school in her robot dress more than once!”

The day had finally arrived and Gabi and Madeleine competed in the championship event alongside 32 teams and 150 students in Washington State. They came in 2nd place in their division and won the Dazzling Design Award.

With Special Olympics Unified Robotics, it didn’t matter that Gabi has special needs. She was given the same opportunity as every other student to try new things and experience the joy of designing, building and programming a robot. At that moment at the Championship event, Gabi was just a high school girl celebrating her victory!

Taking a moment at competition
Photo courtesy Unified Robotics


“When I first asked Gabi to form a robotics team with me, I thought it would be nice to teach her about robotics,” said Madeleine. 
“What I didn’t realize was how much Gabi would teach me. I learned about the gap that exists in STEM education and how students with special needs have been excluded from this exciting field. I learned that they have a lot to contribute and we must find ways to provide an inclusive environment for all people, regardless of their circumstances. I also learned that I have a really cool cousin who is fun to hang out with and who also loves cats and robots as much as I do!”

The cousins are already planning to participate in Special Olympics Unified Robotics next year and can’t wait to start shopping for the perfect matching outfit!



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King's student named semi-finalist in robotics competition

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Madeleine Schwitters hears herself named to the
Dean's List Semi-Finalists
FIRST Robotics (FRC) Team 4911 CyberKnights, a robotics team from King’s High School, is proud to announce that Madeleine Schwitters has been named a FIRST Dean’s List Semi-Finalist at the West Valley District Event in Spokane.

Madeleine will represent the team at the Pacific Northwest District Championship April 5-8, 2017 where she will compete for the opportunity to represent the team at the World Championships later that month.

The Dean’s List Award began in 2010 to celebrate outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary. In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the FIRST most outstanding FRC students, the Kamen family sponsors this award for the selected top students.

The FIRST Dean’s List Award is awarded to a current student leader who has led their FIRST Robotics Competition team and communities to increase awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment, and who will be great leaders of FIRST’s ever growing student alumni.

CyberKnights coach Mike Thompson with Madeleine
at a team event

Madeleine was nominated by CyberKnights coach and King’s High School teacher Mike Thompson because of her natural ability and interest in building, leading groups, programming robots and passion for ensuring every student has the opportunity to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

She has held numerous leadership roles on her FRC and FTC teams including Drive Captain, Mill Lead and CAD Lead for Critical Systems. She coaches an FLL team, started a Special Olympics Unified Robotics team and mentors at robotics summer camps. She devotes about 30 hours per week to the team and outreach events, while maintaining a 3.96 GPA in mainly AP and college-prep courses.

After realizing the importance of STEM and how it impacts people’s lives around the world, Madeleine wanted to ensure every student has access to STEM education regardless of their circumstances.

She recently launched a non-profit called Kids and Tech with the mission to help children explore STEM in fun ways and enable everyone access to STEM education and activities.

Through Kids and Tech, Madeleine is promoting FIRST Robotics as well as camps offering need-based scholarships, low-cost/free community events related to STEM, and even fun science experiments to do at home.

Madeleine has started a
non-profit to promote robotics
She hopes to use this non-profit to promote equity in her community and eventually worldwide. She’s working to provide scholarships to underprivileged children so they can attend STEM camps, and securing donations to provide LEGO Kits, laptops, and other equipment to schools and groups that cannot afford to start STEM programs without it.

“I’m beyond proud of the contribution Madeleine is making to spread STEM and the ideals of FIRST, said Mike Thompson. “Madeleine has made it clear that her journey with FIRST is just beginning. She plans to mentor a team during college, volunteer at events, and would love to continue coaching.”

The FIRST Dean’s List Award has attracted the attention of prestigious colleges and universities who desire to have FIRST Dean’s List students apply for admissions.

“I am honored to be nominated for this award and am beyond excited to be recognized as a semi-finalist,” said Madeleine. “FIRST has inspired me to pursue engineering, understand the importance of STEM and ensure everyone has access to STEM education. I look forward to representing my team at the next level of competition.”

You can learn more about the CyberKnights on their website and about FIRST Robotics on their website



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King's High School Robotics qualify for 2017 STEM Equity Community Innovation grant

Monday, March 13, 2017

Students from King’s High School robotics team, CyberKnights FRC 4911,
promoting Unified Robotics at Microsoft’s #UpgradeYourGame event:


Photos from King's Schools

FRC Team 4911 CyberKnights, a robotics team from King’s High School, is proud to announce they have qualified for the 2017 STEM Equity Community Innovation Grant awarded by FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).

This grant adds to FIRST’s commitment to address the inequities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) among underrepresented and underserved students.

King’s student partner Joy Mogg and Ballard High School student athlete, Justice Jaeger


This grant is designed to help ensure that more of these students, and their communities, are exposed to creative problem-solving and hands-on learning, and are educated about future career opportunities available to them.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that although STEM jobs are expected to grow at a rate of nearly double that of other fields, around 1.2 million such positions will be unfilled by 2018 because of a lack of applicable skills in the U.S. workforce.

The CyberKnights, partnering with Special Olympics, are requesting $25,000 to fund the growth of Unified Robotics, a robotics program that provides STEM opportunities to students with and without intellectual disabilities.

The program, founded in 2015 by King’s High School student, Delaney Foster, is now part of the Special Olympics Unified Sports program. 
The program has grown from six teams and 24 students in Washington State to 56 teams and 350 students in four states in just one year.

Interest is flooding in from schools around the US and from India, Israel and the UK.

Teams competing in Unified Robotics Championship


The grant will be used to help more schools start Unified Robotics teams by providing:
  • LEGO EV3 Kits for building the robot
  • Laptops or Microsoft Surfaces for programming the robot
  • Team uniforms and supplies
  • Practice fields
  • Competition costs

Unified Robotics Championship event

“The demand from students wanting to start Unified Robotics at their schools is overwhelming,” said Andrew LaPrade, King’s High School junior and CyberKnights CEO. 
“While we have a great network of mentors and coaches through Special Olympics, this grant will allow us to offset the cost so more schools can participate in the 2017 season.”

The CyberKnights have immediate plans to expand Special Olympics Unified Robotics to every school district in Washington State where the special needs population averages about 13% per school. They plan to work together with other FIRST teams including Mt. Vernon High School in Mt. Vernon, Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, and Central Valley High School in Spokane. 

Together, they want to ensure every school in Washington is aware of the opportunity to reach this underrepresented community and has access to support through this grant.

“By partnering with other FIRST robotics teams in Washington State, and eventually around the world, we are hopeful that Special Olympics Unified Robotics will be in every school district worldwide”, said LaPrade.

FIRST will provide funds to up to 15 communities in the United States and Canada. All communities will be notified by May 31, 2017.

Volunteer Judges Senator Joe Fain and City of Seattle Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller


Learn more about Special Olympics Unified Robotics on their website.

The CyberKnights seek to inspire an interest and passion for science and technology while preparing students to become industry leaders in tomorrow’s competitive global marketplace. The King’s High School’s award-winning robotics program serves as an educational community within King’s Schools as well as FIRST ® Robotics.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization that seeks to further education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and provide an environment in which students can grow academically and acquire skills vital to their professional development such as an exceptional work ethic and problem-solving skills.

Starting in 2009 in FIRST Tech Challenge with eight students, the CyberKnights have inspired over 10% of the K-12 students to participate in FIRST programs. CyberKnights Alumni have gone on to pursue fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and return to invest in the program as mentors for the current team. The team continues to develop its members in leadership, collaboration, and communication skills.


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Shoreline Schools' robotics team to compete in Mount Vernon and Snohomish events

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Photo by Jerry Pickard

By Wesley Proudlove

Shoreline's Team Pronto Robotics is getting ready to compete against other teams in the PNW Robotics region. There are over 350 teams in WA, OR and ID alone but worldwide there are 6000 teams and 100,000 competing students.

Team Pronto students are from both Shoreline High Schools and home school students from the area. The 40 person team is given a task by FRC Robotics and the students have a limited budget and limited time to build a robot to complete this task.

Every year the tasks change but the students' enthusiasm never fails.

This year students are to build robots of a specific size and weight to compete. On a field the robots are to deliver large gears to humans in a tower and shoot large plastic balls into a even high tower.

As if this wasn’t enough, at the end of each 4 minute round the robots are to climb a rope to the humans in the tower.

This may sound overwhelming to the normal adult but these robotics kids have grabbed ahold of the task and built not one but two robots to perform these tasks.

Team Pronto will be competing against 35 other teams at Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon the weekend of March 18th and 19th and then again the weekend of March 25th and 26th at Glacier Peak in Snohomish.

Competition times are from 8am to about 4pm. The event is free and open to all ages.



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Robotics competition at Shorecrest Saturday brought out 27 teams

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Four teams at once
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shorecrest High School hosted 27 robotic teams on Saturday, January 21 in the school gym for the VEX competitions.

Students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other clubs in game based engineering challenges.

Robots often need adjustments and repairs
Photo by Jerry Pickard

The objective was to have the robots shove plastic tetrahedrons over a fence and then pick up large bean bags and toss them over the fence. The team that tossed the most tetrahedrons and bean bags over the fence in the allotted time won each round.

Complicating the game was the fact that four teams were working in the same arena at the same time.

Shorecrest Team, back row l-r Henry Zalab, Shelly Gresch. Isabella Davis, and Adam Opfer.
front row Drew Gawlinski, Heidi Resing, and Stella Beemer.
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

The Highlanders of Shorecrest fielded two teams under the supervisor of advisor Kari Potter.

Attendance was light for the four hour competition, with primarily family, friends, and teammates to watch the games.

Each of these schools brought from one to four teams:

  1. Auburn Riverside High School
  2. Bellevue Middle School
  3. Everett Home School (Middle School)
  4. Interlake High School
  5. iTech Preparatory (Vancouver, WA)
  6. Kirkland High School
  7. Lake Washington High School 
  8. Mariner High School
  9. Mukilteo High School
  10. Newport High School
  11. Redmond High School
  12. Rosehill Middle School (Redmond)
  13. Shorecrest High School
Shorewood's Robotics program is in a different VEX division and will be competing later in the year. King's CyberKnights competes in FIRST.




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Robotics competition Saturday at Shorecrest

Wednesday, January 18, 2017



Shorecrest High School will be the site for an exciting VEX Robotics competition this Saturday, January 21. The event will run from 11am - 4pm in the school’s gym, 15343 25th Ave NE.

It is FREE to attend and concessions will be available.

A total of 26 high school teams will be competing, including two from Shorecrest, who will participate in a number of challenges, including:

  • Standard Matches: Two alliances of two teams each playing against each other
  • Robot Skills Challenge: One robot and driver playing alone against the clock
  • Programming Skills Challenge: One robot using sensors to run autonomously
  • Online Challenges: Unique contests using CAD, animation, essays, and more...


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Unified Robotics Championship at Pacific Science Center in program developed by King's High student

Sunday, November 27, 2016

CyberKnights Unified Robotics
King's High School photo

Unified Robotics Championship at Pacific Science Center
Helping Bridge the Opportunity Gap for High School Students


Collaborate. Build. Compete. Students with special needs have the opportunity of a lifetime with Special Olympics Unified Robotics. This “sport for the mind” is spreading like wildfire across Washington state and beyond; fifteen high schools competing in its inaugural season.

The opportunity gap for high school students with special needs is staggering. The unemployment rate for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disabilities is twice as high as for the general population, according to a nationwide study by Special Olympics.

Unified Robotics provides hands-on learning experience and prepares students for future careers in STEM fields. The program is adaptable for students of all levels of learning; diversity is embraced in Unified Robotics.

Pacific Science Center is hosting the Unified Robotics Championship, open to the public, on December 3, 2016 from 10am – 4pm.

Over 32 teams will compete and present their unique robot designs while encouraging others through team spirit activities.

Featured speakers, Will Daugherty (Pacific Science Center CEO) and Dave Lenox (Special Olympics Washington CEO) will welcome guests before the competition. Senator Joe Fain and Dr. Gary Stobbe (Director of UW Adult Autism Clinic) are among other VIP event judges.

“The fact that our athletes are meaningfully contributing to building robots sends a message to the world that this population has untapped talent and wisdom waiting to be discovered and utilized.” – Dave Lenox, CEO Special Olympics Washington

Unified Robotics was founded last year by then King’s High School senior, Delaney Foster, an active advocate for inclusive education. Foster, whose sister is diagnosed with ASD, has seen firsthand the opportunity gap that exists in high schools. Students with ASD and/or intellectual disabilities are often excluded from extracurricular activities, and even elective classes, because of lack of accommodations or ability to provide modifications.



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King’s Schools CyberKnights partners with first ever East African Robotics Team

Thursday, November 17, 2016

The first ever East Africa FTC Robotics team, CyberKnights Uganda, is in the Emerald City this week preparing to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge this Saturday, November 19 from 12:00 to 3:00pm at King’s High School in Shoreline.

This team, from Beacon of Hope, a branch of Seattle-based nonprofit Pilgrim Africa, is about to make world history by spreading FIRST Robotics to an entirely new region.

The Ugandan team is partnered with and mentored by CyberKnights 4911, the robotics team from King's High School. Along with this challenge, CyberKnights Uganda plans to compete this year in Israel in hopes of making it to the world championship.

For the past three years, CyberKnights members from King’s High School had the privilege of travelling to Uganda for annual outreach trips. They journeyed to the Beacon of Hope school to work with and mentor their partners in Uganda, working alongside them in building robots.

Tammy Nguyen, who travelled to Uganda with the Cyberknights this past June, commented on her experience with the Ugandan team:

“Every day when I got into their lab, I could feel the same passion and dedication like what we had in our lab at King’s. They never stopped working on the problems and making things better, even after the class was over. I guess that's just how we CyberKnights are, no matter if we're from Seattle or Uganda.”

Beacon of Hope is utilizing robotics as an enjoyable yet educational activity throughout East Africa. Participants, whether students or mentors, learn engineering skills, gain experience with real world problem solving, and learn about different cultures from across the world. CyberKnights Uganda is planning to pursue their dreams and participate in a FIRST Tech Challenge competition here in Seattle.

King's CyberKnights have made it a goal to bring hope and opportunity to others through robotics. In addition to working with Beacon of Hope, the King's CyberKnights have also travelled to Vietnam, Israel, and Los Angeles to inspire others through STEM.

They also started Unified Robotics, a program that utilizes robotics to bring opportunity to high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disabilities. King’s is now partnering with Special Olympics of Washington to build this program.

Mikel Thompson, head coach of the CyberKnights 4911, commented on the team’s experience in Uganda: "Our work in Uganda helped inspire a vision and passion for using our skills and talents to help others."

Donations to CyberKnights Uganda can be made here.


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Hand in Hand: Bridging opportunity and achievement gaps and connecting students through robotics

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Photo by Noelle Foster
On October 10th, thirteen high schools, plus three middle schools, gathered together with the purpose of extending competitive robotics teams to students with disabilities. 

All together, 175 people attended the event, held by Special Olympics Unified Robotics at the Microsoft Redmond Town Center campus. 

Student and mentor, child and parent, individuals with and without disabilities, a broad spectrum of people came together that evening, made possible by the generous support of Microsoft.

The event was Live-Streamed so that new teams from outside the area could learn and participate in Unified Robotics™. The video from the event can be accessed here.

King's student Eva Taylor explains a concept
The event included an introduction to SOWA (Special Olympics Washington) - an organization focused on empowering students with intellectual disabilities through competitive opportunities- in addition to training sessions for building, programming, and competing in this year’s robotics game challenge.

During the event, multiple individuals involved with the program shared testimonies on their respective experiences.

Amongst the speakers were Special Olympics Washington representatives Joe Hampson and Morgan Larche and a pair of students involved with the program in 2015.

Kickoff
Photo by Andrew LaPrade

Speakers specifically emphasized the ubiquitous impact on individuals involved with Unified Robotics, not limiting the benefits to any one people group. More so, speakers expressed a genuine desire for change and opportunity, presenting the program as an ideal method of achieving this goal.

Unified Robotics stands out as powerful way to promote STEM-based activities and provide social inclusion opportunities vital for high school students.

Photo by Andrew LaPrade
Over ten schools left fully prepared to implement the program immediately.

Special Olympics Unified Robotics will culminate in a Washington State Championship Tournament in which all participating schools will compete on the field and present their robots to Judges and audience members.

The Championship Tournament will be held at Pacific Science Center on December 3rd from 10am-3pm.

From this point, SOWA looks to the future with plans to further break down borders and bridge gaps through innovation, passion and robotics.

More information on Unified Robotics can be found here or through contacting Unified Robotics Consulting Mentor, Noelle Foster or SOWA Director of Unified Schools, Morgan Larche.



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Robotics Club for Students with and without Disabilities

Thursday, October 13, 2016

CyberKnights Unified Robotics
Photo courtesy King's


Special Olympics Unified Robotics™ Kickoff 

Last year students from King’s High School in Shoreline created a new program called Unified Robotics™. Unified Robotics is a robotics club designed to make hands on STEM learning available to high school students of all abilities. (See previous article)

This year the Unified Robotics season started with a kickoff event on Monday October 10 at Microsoft Redmond Town Center in Redmond. The event was livestreamed by Microsoft; the link is available to access at the Unified Robotics website.

STEM study is widely and deeply embedded in mainstream education, however students with intellectual disabilities have been left behind. This creates significant problems because STEM skills are necessary for success and even survival in modern society. Many people with intellectual disabilities are extremely creative and capable, and simply need exposure and training to reach full potential. That is why it was such a huge leap forward when the Unified Robotics Club was created.

Last year Unified Robotics was piloted at Roosevelt High School by members of the King’s CyberKnights FIRST Robotics Competition team. Unified Robotics follows the Special Olympics Unified Sports model by pairing students with and without intellectual disabilities with the goals of bringing STEM education to students of all abilities and creating communities of acceptance for all.

The students work together to build and program a LEGO robot to play in a sumo wrestling type game competing against teams from other schools. In its first year, interest exploded and the program was featured by multiple national level broadcast and print outlets.

Special Olympics Washington has incorporated Unified Robotics as a Unified Sport into the Unified Schools programming, formally known as Project UNIFY.

The 2016 Unified Robotics season will be held from October 10 through December 3.



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Shoreline students win big at ASME Pacific Northwest Engineering Student Design Conference

Thursday, May 5, 2016

SCC students (from bottom left) Yun-Chien Lin, Sheng-Kai Chen,
Hsuan-Han Lai, and Hucheng Guo.
Photo by Dr. Eric Basham.

Robots built and programmed by Shoreline Community College students placed 1st and 3rd in the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Pacific Northwest Engineering Student Design Conference held at Tacoma Community College April 8-9, 2016. The conference included participants from both two- and four-year institutions across the Pacific Northwest.

This was Shoreline Community College’s first year entering the competition with a robotics project. The two student teams, made up of Yun-Chien Lin and Hsuan-Han Lai and Sheng-Kai Chen and Hucheng Guo, took third and first respectively in the mini-SumoBot competition. The students are members of Shoreline’s Engineering and Technology Society, and their entry into the competition was sponsored by the Associated Student Government and supported by faculty advisor Dr. Eric Basham.

“The results of this competition demonstrate that Shoreline Community College students can compete with both two- and four-year engineering student teams and win!” said Basham. “But aside from winning, participating in these competitions helps students to gain confidence in their skills as creative thinkers and innovators, network with their peers, and get noticed in the industry.”

A mini-SumoBot is a relatively small, self-propelled, electromechanical robotic device designed to compete in Sumo-style matches by forcing an opponent’s similar device out of a designated competition zone. Autonomous SumoBots, once placed in starting position and activated, operate under their own internal logic and programming, without any human guidance or control. SumoBots do not use any form of weapons. Points, penalties, and victories are determined in the style of classic Sumo.

Shoreline’s Engineering and Technology Society plans to compete against both college and professional teams again this fall, this time on a national level.



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Team Pronto takes its robot Steve to regional event

Friday, March 25, 2016

This past weekend Shoreline's Team Pronto competed at the regional event at Mount Vernon High School with 34 other teams.

Our robot "Steve" (yes the students named it) started working very well and could score points all by itself in the autonomous part of the game. Steve really was shining and then the students would drive it and make even more crossings of the field and scored almost every time it had a cannon ball.

Our alliance partners were not always so strong, so this caused us to have a losing record going into the finals selections. The highly ranked teams saw all the wonderful things Steve was doing and this caused much excitement that we would be selected for the finals.

The number 2 ranked team selected Team Pronto to compete with them in the finals. Our alliance partners were strong and we quickly put to rest the quarter final competition teams. Then in the semi finals we quickly scored the first win only to have it overturned because of a field computer concern so that match had to be replayed.

Team Pronto stepped up and repeated the match and then won by over double the score of our competition.

Team Pronto then won the next match quickly, sending themselves to the finals. Steve was showing some small problems from all the rough play but he seemed to be in good shape, the team thought.

In the first game of the finals Steve did his normal autonomous scoring but then something went wrong.

The students could not control the robot's movements and our alliance was having concerns with only 2 working robots.

When the students removed Steve from the field they found he had suffered a failure of the drive wheel pulley. It was shattered and would not easily be replaced, even if we had a replacement.

Team Pronto then decided to call in a replacement team to fill in for our broken robot. Without Steve on the field the alliance was not as strong as with Steve, so the alliance suffered a second loss. This dropped us out and gave the alliance the second place trophy.

--Wesley Proudlove



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Team Pronto readies robots for competition

Thursday, February 18, 2016

2016 practice robot
Photo by Nathan Gibbons

By Wes Proudlove

It’s the time of the year when teenagers' minds turn to building robots and competitions. Shoreline's own Team Pronto has been busy since January 9 building two robots - one for event play and one for application practice. Team Pronto has had six weeks to complete building a robot for the purpose of competing in FRC Robotics events. The robot build happens after school each day and Saturdays over six weeks. Team members have put in thousands of hours total build time getting ready for the craziness of competition.    

Team Pronto was formed in December 2008 when four sophomores from Shorewood High School asked me to help them start a robotics team. I have had the honor to be the head mentor / advisor for the team since that fateful day. This year's team has 59 members, ranging from freshman to senior grades, from both Shorewood and Shorecrest High Schools.

Team Pronto has mentors who work with the students to give them a sneak peak into what will await them in industry. The team's mentors come from Boeing, Microsoft, U.W., Shoreline Community College, WSDOT, and Shoreline School District, just to name a few. Team Pronto also has mentors who are past Team Pronto members who have now gone on to higher education and careers of their own but still feel the pull each build season to come back and help out the team.  

Team Pronto has a history of past members going on to very successful academic and working careers. Past year's team members have attended and are attending colleges and universities all over the U.S. -- as far away as Germany and as close as SCC. Past member's careers are not always based around robotics but the skills they have acquired here as members of the team have helped in their career success no matter the career of their choice.

This year Team Pronto will be competing in events at Glacier Peak High School on March 12-13, and at Mount Vernon High School March 19-20. If Team Pronto is ranked in the top 64 out of over 300 teams they will then compete at the district event that will be held in Portland, Oregon April 6-9.

All FRC Robotics events are open and free to the public -- any one can attend. The events are a mix of high-energy sport and high-level creative thinking. The students who compete in these events are our world’s future so please come on by one of events and see the great things our youth are doing.

If you want more information on FRC Robotics please visit USFIRST.org



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FIRST® Robotics Competition Kickoff Event in Mountlake Terrace Saturday

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Chuck, the 2014 Shorewood robot
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Washington FIRST Robotics is proud to launch the 2016 season of the FIRST Robotics Competition with a worldwide kickoff event on Saturday, January, 9, 2016.

The Mountlake Terrace event will take place at Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace 98043, from 7:00am to noon.

The event is free and open to the public.

The event will include 40 teams and is one of 114 total kickoff events taking place worldwide.

The 2016 season will include more than 158 teams, (4,500 students) grades 9-12, participating in 9 district events which will culminate into the Pacific Northwest District Championships at Memorial Stadium in Portland, Oregon, April 6 -9, 2016.

At Kickoff, teams will be shown the FIRST STRONGHOLDsm game field and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components – with limited instructions.

Teams will have six weeks to design and build a robot to meet this year’s engineering challenge and will compete against other FIRST Robotics Competition teams beginning March. Information on the FRC Competitions here.

Since 2011, Washington FIRST Robotics has offered free mentor based after school programs for youth ages 6 – 18 to ignite interest in science, technology, engineering, and math skills (STEM) and to foster well rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, teamwork, and leadership. 

Washington FIRST Robotics strives to alleviate the growing problem of a shortage of skilled professionals in STEM and the need for an innovative workforce by using strategies that promote STEM interest, knowledge, and learning and that inspire students to pursue post-secondary education / training in STEM. Using competitive robotics as a learning platform, our programs provide hands-on experience with an emphasis on fun that students would not otherwise gain in a traditional classroom.

Washington FIRST Robotics in a nonprofit organization that ignites youthful minds through education, hard work, mentorship and healthy competition. Currently there are over 11,000 young people participating throughout the state with over 6,000 coaches, mentors and volunteers. In the four after school programs young people are exposed to and are inspired to build on their passions to prepare them to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow.
  • FIRST LEGO League Jr. (ages 6 – 9); 
  • FIRST LEGO League (ages 9 -14);
  • FIRST Tech Challenge (grade 7 – 12); 
  • FIRST Robotics Competition (grade 9-12)
More information on FIRST and to find out how to get involved here.

Updated 01-06-2016




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Unified Robotics finale Dec 16 includes students with special needs

Thursday, December 10, 2015

CyberKnights in action at King's High School
Photo courtesy CyberKnights

The CyberKnights, a Washington FIRSTⓇ robotics team from Kings Highschool in Shoreline, is proud to announce the final event for their new program, Unified Robotics. This friendlier version of ‘Battle Bots’ will be held Wednesday, December 16th from 6:30 – 8:00pm at Roosevelt High School in north Seattle.

Unified Robotics is a student-designed and implemented program that is open to students with special needs and a variety of learning challenges. It’s the first program of its kind and brings the world of STEM and robotics to high school students with special needs during a 6-week after school program.

The 6-week program model is currently being tested at Roosevelt High School with the goal to sustain and expand to other Seattle schools, so that the final week will include an inter-school competition in the future.

Students from Ballard High School and Garfield High School are already joining King’s and Roosevelt students for this inaugural season. The CyberKnights are documenting each step of the development of the program in order to create a teaching manual for other schools to start their own clubs.

“We are thrilled with the results of this first season,” said Mike Thompson, Robotics instructor at King’s High School. 
“We’ve seen a lot of interest and participation from my robotics students, and students with special needs and staff from multiple Seattle public schools. We are also seeing other schools becoming interested in implementing their own programs. 
I am extremely proud of my students and their commitment to spread STEM education to those who wouldn’t normally have this opportunity.”

The final event is open to anyone interested in learning more about Unified Robotics, the press, and schools considering adding this to their curriculum. For more information and to obtain a guest pass, email the CyberKnights by December 15, 2015.

The CyberKnights seek to inspire an interest and passion for science and technology while preparing students to become industry leaders in tomorrow’s competitive global marketplace.



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King's High School Robotics team launches program for special needs students

Tuesday, December 1, 2015


King's High School Robotics team launches Unified Robotics: After school program introduces robotics, computer programming and engineering to students with special needs or intellectual disabilities.

The CyberKnights, King’s High School’s robotics team, is proud to announce the launch of their new program, Unified Robotics. The student-designed and implemented program is open to students with special needs and a variety of learning challenges. It’s the first of its kind and brings the world of STEM and robotics to high school students with special needs during a 6-week after school program.

The 6-week program model is currently being tested at Roosevelt High School with the goal to sustain and expand to other Seattle schools, so that the final week will include an inter-school competition in the future.

Already students from Ballard High School and Garfield High School are joining King’s and Roosevelt students in this inaugural season. The CyberKnights are documenting each step of the development of the program in order to create a teaching manual for other schools to start their own clubs.

“I am so proud of our students,” said Eric Rasmussen, King’s Schools Superintendent. “One of our goals at King’s is to inspire hearts and equip minds as we develop the leaders of the future. Seeing our robotics team step out and engage with their peers with special needs in this way demonstrates who we are.”



Here’s how Unified Robotics works:

  • Students from King’s robotics team (along with Unity Club volunteers from Garfield and Ballard High School) go to Roosevelt on Wednesday afternoons to work alongside students with a variety of skill levels to design and build robots in small teams of about four students using NXT kits made by LEGO.
  • Each team builds their own robot including designing, building and programming the bot.
  • In their ‘Season Finale,’ each team will present their robot and its features, and then compete in a friendlier version of Battle Bots.

“In only three weeks of participating in Unified Robotics, each member of my team has had a life-changing experience,” said Delaney Foster, CyberKnights CEO. 
“First, we learned ‘success’ has many different definitions. In our previous experiences, success only meant building the champion robot. This program is not only teaching the students with special needs robotics and engineering, it is teaching the robotics students about acceptance and success.”

Tom Ledcke, a teacher from Roosevelt High School, said this about the Cyberknights:
“The robotics team from King’s High School generously offered my students the opportunity to participate in the area of engineering and programming. This was presented in a fun and social setting. I appreciate the hands on approach and modifications that are made to suit the individuals' learning level. More importantly I am witnessing meaningful relationships developing as young people learn about each other’s lives.”

The CyberKnights seek to inspire an interest and passion for science and technology while preparing students to become industry leaders in tomorrow’s competitive global marketplace.

The King’s High School’s award-winning robotics program serves as an educational community within King’s Schools as well as FIRST ® Robotics. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization that seeks to further education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and provide an environment in which students can grow academically and acquire skills vital to their professional development such as an exceptional work ethic and problem-solving skills.

The CyberKnights serve as the founding team of King’s Robotics, a group of FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Lego League, and FIRST Lego League Jr. teams. In its endeavor to successfully embody FIRST values and goals, the CyberKnights seek to create a team culture that sustains their community for years to come. From team recruitment, developing student leaders, maintaining a gender-equal team, serving as FIRST ambassadors in outreach, collaborating with each other in a student-lead environment and asking corporations to support them as the next generation of leaders, the CyberKnights strive to be an organization of people impacting the world for FIRST.

Starting in 2009 in FIRST Tech Challenge with eight students, the CyberKnights have inspired over 10% of the K-12 students to participate in FIRST programs. CyberKnights Alumni have gone on to pursue fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and return to invest in the program as mentors for the current team. The team continues to develop its members in leadership, collaboration, and communication skills.



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