Open House for team Friday, March 27
Northeast Range Robotics Team Open house Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. at the Northeast Range School. The public can come and see a short demonstration, watch a video, meet some of the team and hear about their outreach efforts and competitions.
The Iron Mosquitos are returning to Houston.
For the second year in a row, the robotics team from Northeast Range is heading south to the world competition - known as the FIRST Robotics Championships - from April 29-May 2.
That trip was secured after last weekend’s regional competition in Grand Forks, ND, where the 16-member group won the FIRST Impact Award.
“The FIRST Impact Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST,” said Ryan Lindsay, head coach of the high school team. “The FIRST Impact Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season. The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.”
Since their first trip to the world competition, the Iron Mosquitos have taken their show on the road, demonstrating their skills and showing off their robots at conferences, to business leaders and even politicians.
“The award they won is very prestigious and over a sustained period the team does a lot of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) outreach and promotion of robotics,” said Lindsay. “Our win was based on some of the work the kids did in the offseason, being out in DC meeting (U.S. Rep. Pete) Stauber, running summer camps, presenting at the school board conference.”
While much of the team has prior world championship experience, the return trip has the group “pretty excited,” according to Lindsay.
“It’s a big deal to get down there,” he said. “They’ve had some success the last couple years, but some of the team have never gone. It’s a privilege to get there. It took us eight years to get our first trip down there.”
But the victory also comes with some challenges, including raising the needed funds to go to Houston, where the local kids will compete againstmorethan400teams,some coming from China, Australia and Europe as well as from across the United States.
The Iron Mosquitos have turned fundraising efforts into overdrive, launching a “$100 Club” with anyone donating $100 having their name added to a T-shirt listing sponsors.
Businesses are also being solicited and the team will also benefit from some company employee match programs.
Donors may also simply write checks to the Northeast Range School to help the cause, and more fundraising information will be out soon via social media, according to Lindsay.
The Iron Mosquitos will also be selling raffle tickets and have an open house set for Friday, March 27, starting at 6 p.m., at the Northeast Range School in Babbitt.
Contributions will be accepted there and the public is invited to see the team’s robot in action.
At regionals, the Iron Mosquitos were saluted as “dancing to their own beat. Their impact has generated quite a BUZZ in their area and across the nation - resulting in the creation of three new teams. They are persistent in creating a space where culture and robots can move in step.”
Team members are Tuuli Koivisto, Makana Bodas, Molly Lindsay, Jadin Nilsson, Evangeline Morgan, Makenzie Little, Tristan Teslow, Wilhelmina Mattila, Damien Medicine, RaeannaMedicine,Alexianna Jenkins, Clayton Haus, Mason Mostek, Jada Medicine and Yagmur Kilic.
“I’m just impressed with all of the work the kids put in,” said Lindsay. “They have stuff for their resume speaking to business leaders and going to national conferences. It didn’t happen for me in high school. I’m glad I’m a part of it and being able to be part of the kids showing what they know.”
