Mission, Texas- The K. White Jr. High School (KWJH) Sierra Hawks robotics team is anxiously awaiting word of possible advancement to state competitions after placing third at the Texas Computer Educators Association (TCEA) Area 1 Robotics Competitions. The Area 1 consists of seven counties that include: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata. There were a total of 27 school districts and 21 charter school in the competition. The Area 1 robotics competition is one of the largest in the state with over 300 teams participating in four different competitions and levels. The teams compete in Advanced (high school) or intermediate (Jr. High & Elementary) divisions. In each of those divisions, teams can compete in the invention contest or the arena contest for the opportunity to compete at the TCEA State Competition by placing in the top 2 of every category.
The KWJH Sierra Hawks competed in the advanced inventions competition. The team members are (pictured left to right): Joseph Casas, Clarissa Canizalez, Nathan Cavazos, Abel Martinez.
In the inventions contests, teams of two to four students create and develop a robotic invention to demonstrate a solution for a problem of their choice. This showcases research, robot performance, robot design, marketing, and presentation skills for a panel of judges. Students approach their problem as a real team of engineers working together to solve their problem using the engineering design process.
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