Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
SHOALS – A Shoals robotics team made school history this month by becoming the school district’s first team to advance to the nationals of the FIRST LEGO League robotics tournament.
The team finished fifth in the state competition Dec. 10 at the University of Indianapolis. A total of 49 teams competed.
The members of the team, for students in grades 4-8, will compete this summer at a site to be determined. The advancing FLL team was one of two Shoals teams that advanced to state this year, also a first for the school. Shoals also has two FIRST Tech Challenge teams made up of high school students.
FIRST LEGO League is a hands-on STEM program for students in grades K-8.
FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Last summer, teams around the world were given the same challenge that would be the focus of the season’s competitions. The challenge was about energy conservation. In addition to building a robot that could complete a certain task, the team also had to address a community issue.
Lorna Troutman, a Shoals resident who organizes and supports the school’s three robotics teams, said in the 10 years that Shoals has had a robotics program, at least one team has advanced to the state nearly every year.
This year’s Rox Stars team advancing to nationals is noteworthy not just because it’s the first, but because the team didn’t have much success a year ago.
In 2021, the team didn’t advance out of the local round of competition, nor did the team receive any awards.
“They were surprised because we had done well for so many years and I think that challenged them,” Troutman said. “This year they went all out, this group clicked and they wanted this.”
Shoals Community Schools is part of COSMOS, the Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell and Orleans Schools. The school partnership was created to provide a range of shared courses to students and develop more career pathways for students.
“We are so proud of the robotics program at Shoals Community School Corporation,” said Apryl Kidd, COSMOS director. “COSMOS is committed to creating possibilities by providing students with the opportunity to draw outside the lines of traditional education and realize a brighter tomorrow. We believe the FLL is one of those opportunities. Through the program, students are immersed in real-world problem-solving experiences and gaining the skills necessary to build a better, brighter future! We are excited to cheer on the team as they compete at a national level!”
For the community part of the competition, the team turned its attention to their hometown’s street lights.
Troutman said the team researched how the town could reduce its energy consumption. The students learned the town spends $1,100 a month on street lights. By switching to solar, the town would realize a huge cost savings over time.
“When the kids can do a project that has something to do with their hometown, that makes it relevant,” she said. “The program is not about inventing something new, it’s about re-inventing something to be better.”
To present their solution, the students wrote a play and presented it to the judges, complete with costumes.
How it started
Troutman got involved with the robotics program 10 years ago.
“I went to the school board and said I’d like to do this, but only if it’s successful,” she said.
The goal was to strengthen students’ STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – skills, as well as expose them to different career opportunities.
When that first kit arrived, a box full of LEGO pieces, Troutman said she didn’t know much about starting a robotics team.
Troutman works at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane as a safety coordinator. She is not an engineer, but her husband is. He provided early guidance and continues to volunteer with the robotics program.
Volunteers were recruited to help the teams and Shoals Community Schools provided space for the teams to meet for practices and build sessions.
The program is funded with grants and donations. Troutman said it costs about $1,000 for each team to cover robotics kits and registration fees. More funds are needed to cover travel costs, equipment for the robots, team meals and shirts. Expenses for the high school team run about $5,000. Each team has about 10 students.
“There is no cost to the parents and that’s something I want to keep doing,” Troutman said. “We try to be completely self-funded so that no child is left out because of finances. Shoals is small, but the town is very supportive.”
Getting the Shoals team ready for nationals will be the focus for the remaining school year, but there’s a bigger picture, too.
Martin County’s proximity to Crane and the future demand for skilled workers is another part of the Shoals robotics program.
Troutman said she discusses job opportunities at Crane with the students often.
“They think we build bombs and I tell them there’s a whole world there,” she said.
FIRST LEGO League also imparts core values of discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, respect for others, teamwork and fun.
To build upon the robotics program’s success, a feeder system for students in grades 1-3 was started to gauge interest and let parents learn about the program.
Shoals success is building interest in robotics, said Troutman.
“We now have a waiting list of students who want to join a team.”