On Saturday, February 23, 2019 at Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg, VT over 30 teams from Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge: Rover Ruckus. This is the seventh year that local and UVM volunteers have produced the annual competition.  

"It was a blast! The competition is always high energy and great fun,” said volunteer and CEMS Lab Manager Courtney Giles. "My favorite part is seeing how excited the students get about showcasing their robots. Our 46 volunteers worked like a well-oiled machine to make the event successful and memorable.”

First Tech Challenge (FTC) is designed for teams of students in grades 7-12, who compete head to head in regional, state-wide, national and international tournaments. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.

View a recording of this year's event: