The School Board met on Monday night for a very long but very informative meeting. The highlight of the evening was seeing the Cinco Ranch CRyptonite Robotics team and its robot. It shoots baskets, but does SO much more. I encourage you to check out the presentation including a video of the robot in action here. Just click on item IV on the right hand menu. Frankly, when I heard the challenge was to make a robot that shoots basketballs, I thought it would stand on the free throw line and chunk them up there. But this robot actually PLAYS basketball-- it scoops up three basketballs and then loads them into a chute, beams a light to the backboard and adjusts trajectory and velocity to shoot the ball from wherever it is with amazing accuracy. And high school students designed and produced it. WOW! The Cinco Ranch Robotics team participates (and excels) in competitions sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Check this out. This is a terrific organization whose motto is: Igniting Young Minds. Nurturing Passions. Practicing Gracious Professionalism.
Professionalism, poise, confidence: the students who spoke at the board meeting certainly exhibited those qualities! And how exciting for them to be able to report that 100% of the graduating seniors in the club were accepted to colleges where they will enter a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) field. Kudos!
The club not only impacts its members but the surrounding community, too. The club mentors other clubs at the feeder Jr. Highs, and they appear before sponsors with their requests for funding and to justify costs. They learn that even in science fields, there is a business side to the endeavor. This is a very real world experience. They are anxious to have similar clubs at every high school, and have helped get one started at Morton Ranch. This is a tough situation, because as a general rule, club formation and participation is not done at the district level, but is driven by student interest and, more importantly, sponsor availability at the campus level. I wish them well, and hope they will ignite fires all over the district!
They have corporate sponsors who cover costs, but asked the district to provide space for them to use as they build their robots. I hope the district will "think outside the box" on this one. I'm reminded of my former school board colleague, Eric Duhon, who always felt the district should utilize the space under the seats at a stadium by building it on top of another building, rather than on top of a big pile of dirt. He suggested meeting space, offices or even storage-- just so long as it is used the OTHER five days a week. Perhaps providing space for "robot garages" in a centralized area (sort of like an Ag Barn for robots) would be a good use of that space when a new stadium is built?
that's really awesome! so glad to see a group of students doing something so cool!
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