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“What if you could build a better world? Where would you begin?” This is the challenge put out by FIRST Inspires to help encourage kids from elementary to high school to become part of a thriving community brimming with inspiration, creativity and hope for a strong, more sustainable future.
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Three years ago, two homeschooling moms, Heather Johnson of Lakeside and Jennifer Brimhall of Taylor, accepted that challenge and White Mountain Robotics (WMR) was born.
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The initial goal was to give local homeschooled kids a chance to compete in the realm of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), while exploring the world of robotics. When the club started getting noticed and public school students asked if they could join, the leaders were more than happy to open the club to the entire community.
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“We teach kids from 10 to 18 years old, mechanical engineering, programming, 3D CAD design and printing, and technical writing, as well as community outreach and public speaking,” said Brimhall. The program, which is put out by FIRST, goes from August to February and ends in April with the FIRST World Championship.
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With four coaches, Jason and Heather Johnson, Dan Rowles and Jennifer Brimhall, the teams were able to compete this year in the regionals and qualified for state.
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Brimhall said that while none of the WMR teams won state, they were still able to be World Ambassadors at the World Championship in Houston, Texas.
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The biggest downside for the non-profit WMR is the cost involved in robotics. So, when Heather Johnson heard about the Cable One “Dream Bigger” social media campaign that would give $3,000 to schools and organizations to help fund a technology project or club, she knew her club had to apply.
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Brimhall wrote a description and submitted the application for WMR. “Cable One chose five organizations to be in the finals, and we were blessed to be chosen,” said Brimhall. “Then it was all based on voting. We were neck and neck with another team for first place, but then they pulled ahead. In the end, Cable One stepped up and gave all five finalists $3,000.”
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While the money was a much needed boost for WMR, Brimhall shared, “We were so overwhelmed at all the people who voted for us and the community support we received during the campaign.”
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WMR will be using the money to buy an all-in-one 3D printer, laser engraver and CNC machine. This equipment, Brimhall said, will not only give the kids a chance to work with a higher level of technology but it will also enable them to create a variety of engraved items for fundraisers as well as customized parts for their robots.
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WMR typically works with about 20 kids from 10 to 18 years old from Holbrook to Lakeside and is divided into two teams: one comprised of elementary and junior high students and another for the high school students.
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“The elementary/junior high team use Lego Mindstorms to create the robot that is then programmed 100 percent by the students to do certain tasks,” shared Jennifer Brimhall. “We have kids as young as 10 years old learning simplified programming.”
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For the high school students, the competition is described on the FIRST website, as “the hardest fun you will ever have.”
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The high school students have to build and program industrial-sized robots to play field games against other competitor robots. The rules are strict and resources are limited, so creativity abounds.
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“The Lego kids also do a science project to solve a real-world problem,” continued Brimhall. “Last year the theme was about traveling through, exploring and living in space. Our team decided to create a virtual reality room for each astronaut that would have images of their homes and family, so if the astronaut got lonely they could visit that room.”
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While the kids work hard, so do the parents and coaches. Brimhall estimates that this last year 3,000 volunteer hours were spent working on the back end of the club, doing the work that no one sees.
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“It’s critically important for today’s students to have hands-on experience with the latest technology, and we are impressed with the opportunities White Mountain Robotics offers to students in Northern Arizona,” said Trish Niemann, Cable One’s Director of Corporate Communications. “Cable One is committed to giving back to the communities we serve. We are excited to see what these students are able to accomplish through this program and watch them develop into the future leaders of our community.”
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For those interested, WMR has a few limited student openings for the 2019 season. They are also currently looking for a new club space that will be able to securely house their projects as well as a place to conduct meetings. They are a non-profit organization and can provide a charitable deduction in lieu of rent.
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For more information on the club or how to help, email Brimhall at whitemountainrobotics@gmail.com.
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