High School Robotics

CAUTION: Robots AGAIN converging on SLO--THIS Saturday!...

kimmistr44 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

...for the 2nd Annual Central Coast VEX Robotics Competition, a local qualifying round of the international VEX competition (http://www.vexrobotics.com/). Competing will be 27 robots from throughout the State of California, including from SLO, Nipomo, and Mission Prep high schools. It is again presented by SLO High Robotics, and this year also hosted by Cal Poly Society of Women Engineers.

WHEN: Saturday February 11^th, 9:00am-4:00pm

WHERE: Cal Poly Advanced Tech Lab (Building 007)

COST: FREE, AND free parking in Lot C

More information and list of all entries at http://robotevents.com/robot-competitions/vex-robotics-competition/california-central-coast-vex-gateway-championship.html

The SLO, Nipomo and Mission Prep teams and others have received donations from Softec as a part of its annual High School Robotics support program; see http://www.softec.org/groups/high_school_robotics/default.aspx for more details.

Robots last converged on SLO on October 26, 2011, when 20+ student robots (and 120+ people!) from throughout the Central Coast came to Softec's annual Robotics Showcase event. Stay tuned for the details of the new 2012 Showcase event, coming soon!

Application Form 2011/12

kimmistr44 — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Form for programs to request consideration for award for the 2011/12 academic year.

Support student robotics on the Central Coast!

kimmistr44 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

We understand that some may wish to contribute directly to a particular school’s robotics program, and that is, of course, encouraged. But for those wishing to support robotics but don’t have a connection to any particular school, a donation to Softec's program will allow you to support all Central Coast school robotics programs as a whole. You can be confident that such donations will be distributed to schools throughout the entire Central Coast, as decided by the Softec Board of Directors as a whole, and not by any individuals.

We encourage you or your firm to become a Softec Sponso r in order to help continue both this and Softec’s other programs, benefiting the entire Central Coast technological community since 1995.

Also, your contribution to the robotics fund can be tax-deductible as a charitable contribution (in addition to any other available basis for deductibility such as a business expense). Softec maintains a Technology Education Fund with the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation, a 501c(3) charitable organization. Contributions to that Fund can legally be released from this fund for no purposes other than technological education, and donations to that fund earmarked for robotics by a donor will be used for that purpose only and not any other Softec programs.

If you wish to make a robotics-earmarked charitable donation, please make your checks payable to "San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation", and please enter "for Softec Advised Passthrough Technology Education Fund—Robotics 2011/12" in the memo line, and mail them to:

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

1401 HIGUERA STREET, P.O. BOX 1580

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93406

and send a copy (digital is fine) of your check to Robotics Support Program Chair Kim Mistretta (Kim@LawOfficesOfKimMistretta.com, or 1177 Marsh Street, Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401)

With the copy of your check, please include your instruction regarding the name in which you wish recognition for your donation be given, and also your contact information in case we have any questions about your donation or recognition.

Donors to the Robotics fund will be recognized on the High-School Robotics section of the Softec website, and as a part of all Softec robotics events during the academic year of your donation. (If you are also supporting Softec as a regular annual Sponsor, the recognition from your Robotics-earmarked donation would be separate from and in addition to the recognition and other benefits associated with your chosen level of regular Softec Sponsorship.)

For further information on how to support Softec and scholastic robotics, contact Robotics Support Program Chair Kim Mistretta (805-781-2600) or Finance Committee Chair Adi Ringer (574-1005).

SLO County Community Foundation 501c(3) Determination letter.

kimmistr44 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

SLO County Community Foundation 501c(3) (Charitable) Determination letter

Robotics teams ROCKED!

kimmistr44 — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Local robotics teams had OUTSTANDING results in the various competitions this year! Softec donated $3,900 to Central Coast high school robotics programs this year, and we are proud to now report on their results! (Full results for all schools here!)

In the F.I.R.S.T competition, HUGE congratulations to the Atascadero High School Greyhound Revolutionary Robotics team! They made it all the way to the World Championship Finals, held in St. Louis April, and then were a part of the three-school team that WON the top prize in the entire competition!

In the VEX competition, the Nipomo High School Titan Robotics team made it all the way to the World Robotics Championships in Orlando, Florida, finishing in the top third of 104 entries.

In the M.A.T.E. (underwater) competition, Mission College Prep made it all the way to the International finals, to be held at the NASA Space Center in Houston, TX on June 19-21! (Stay tuned for results!...)

At Cabrillo High School's intra-school competition, some 150 (wow!) students built 45 underwater ROVs in small teams, and competed in the school pool in an obstacle course that mimicked navigating through a shipwreck, a relay race, a tug o' war, and a group interview.

We are now seeking sponsorships and donations to hopefully multiply the amount that can be awarded for the 2011/12 year, and at some point also make grants to junior high programs.

Also, support of robotics through Softec can now be tax-deductible as a charitable contribution, through Softec's Technology Education Fund with the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation, a 501c(3) exempt organization.

For further details contact Robotics program chair Kim Mistretta (805-781-2600) or Finance Committee Chair Adi Ringer (574-1005).

2010/11 Awards

kimmistr44 — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT

The eight programs receiving grants (total $3,900) for 2010/11, and their competition results, were as follows:

F.I.R.S.T. league:

HUGE congratulations to the Atascadero High School Greyhound Revolutionary Robotics team! They made it all the way to the FIRST World Championship Finals, held in St. Louis April, and then were a part of the three-school team that WON the top prize in the entire competition! (www.greybots.com; Janet Price, jlprice@charter.net))

Arroyo Grande High School Eagle Robotics made it to the semi-finals in the Los Angeles Regional competition, AND won the Quality Award sponsored by Motorola! (www.eaglerobotics.com; David Helete, dhelete@lmusd.org)

The brand-new Orcutt Academy Spartatroniks team made it to the quarter finals in the Los Angeles Regionals, AND won the Highest Rookie Seed! (Spartatroniks.org, Ty Fredriks, tfredriks@orcutt-schools.net)

M.A.T.E. (underwater) league:

This year's challenge required the ROV to cut and cap an oil well, take a water sample from a specified depth, and pick up a variety of organisms, all in 15 minutes.

Mission College Prep went all the way to the International FINALS at the NASA Space Center in Houston, TX and finished 6th overall out of 28 high schools from around the world ! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30161053@N03/sets/72157625166057935; Vickie Backman, vbackman@missionprep.org)

St. Joseph High School also placed highly in the California regional. (http://www.sjhsknights.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=91212&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=211867; Larry Madrigal, madrigal@sjhsknights.com)

VEX league:

The Nipomo High School Titan Robotics team made it all the way to the World Robotics Championships in Orlando, Florida! One of their robots finished 42 out of 104. They had moved though qualifying Regional rounds in San Jose, San Luis Obispo (hosted by SLOHS!), Hesperia, and Lemoore. (www.titanrobotics.info; Greg Gracia, gracia@lmusd.org)

The SLO High School SLOBotics team competed in five regionals, placing in the semi-finals five times and finals once. It also hosted the first ever Central Coast Regional Competition in January, in which competed 20 teams, from Carson to Danville. (Jan Fetcho, jfetcho@slcusd.org)

Also, two SLO HS team members participated in the SkillsUSA program, and won top prize in the State competition in San Diego for their Robot, Game play, CAD and animated PowerPoint presentations. (SkillsUSA (skillsusa.org) is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health.)

Mission College Prep also competed in VEX for the first time this year, placing highly in three regional rounds.

Next year, the VEX World championships will be just "down the road", in Anaheim, and the SLO HS team will again host a Regional competition, on the Cal Poly Campus.

Cabrillo High School intra-school competition:

In a class by itself is Cabrillo High School, which holds a competition of its own! This year a total of some 150 students built 45 ROVs in small teams, and competed in the school pool. Each team competed in an obstacle course that mimicked navigating through a shipwreck, a relay race, a tug o' war, and a group interview. Judges were from Vandenberg AFB (Engineers), Santa Barbara County Office of Education, and the UCSB REEF (Research Experience and Education Facility) aquarium program. Students also maintain individual journals detailing their experience. http://www.cabrilloaquarium.org; Jennifer Mason, mason.jennifer@lusd.org.