A team of Mars Area Elementary School students competed in the regional VEX Unified Robotics Competition, held Dec. 13 at Woodland Hills High School.
The “Cosmic Coders” team, made up of fourth-graders Gage Crankshaw, Max Devich, Jessica Li, Eleanor McCauley, Gavin Myers and Angelo Navari, earned the “Most Unified Team” award. The award celebrates the team that best exemplifies the core values of the Unified Robotics program — fostering respect, empathy, and collaboration among students of diverse abilities.
“The recognition highlights the Cosmic Coders’ exceptional ability to work together seamlessly, leveraging the strengths of every team member while overcoming challenges,” says Colleen Hinrichsen, team coach. “Each student’s contribution was vital to the team’s performance, and their camaraderie was evident throughout the competition.”
For the competition, the students were tasked with constructing a fully functional robot, which they named “Gears.” As part of the VEX Robotics’ VEX IQ Competition Rapid Relay, teams were required to use their robot to collect a yellow ball on a playing surface, line up a shot, and catapult the ball into one of four scoring areas.
In addition, the students showcased their coding and engineering skills by programming their robot to operate autonomously. The students ran their preloaded program and then had an opportunity to modify their code for various different trials.
During the event, the team also submitted a virtual program for the game, says Hinrichsen. The team’s program was able to score 52 points in only a minute.
Another key component of the competition was an Engineering Notebook, a comprehensive document showcasing their planning, problem-solving and progress, says Hinrichsen. The notebook also highlighted how different team members contributed to various tasks, encouraging reflection and ensuring equal participation.
“The Cosmic Coders’ success is a testament to their determination, creativity, and teamwork,” says Hinrichsen. Karen Banze, gifted support teacher; Ashley Campbell, learning support teacher; and Lauren Klein, social worker, served as assistant coaches.
Sponsored by VEX Robotics and the Special Olympics, the VEX Unified Robotics Competition brings together students of diverse abilities in a competitive, yet collaborative environment, while developing their skills as communicators, engineers, problem-solvers, and more.
The Cosmic Coders have been invited to compete again at the end of January. For more information, call (724) 625-3161.