Ethel Walker School
Walker’s robotics team, the Wirecats, were the winners of the 2016 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics New England District Waterbury Event, held March 4-6 at Wilby High School. This competition was the culmination of a six week build season, where the girls worked tirelessly to raise funds, perfect their team brand, and build and program their robot for the FIRST Stronghold Competition.
During the event, the Wirecats went head to head with 37 other teams and demonstrated outstanding professionalism. “This unique environment has taught the girls so much more than just engineering and programming skills; they have learned how to work under pressure, creatively problem solve and work as a team to overcome obstacles,” said team mentor Rob Dawson. “For many of the young women on the team, robotics has sparked their interest in engineering, and it was particularly inspiring to see the team succeed in a huge way after so many weeks of hard work.”
Walker’s victory put the team in good position to qualify for the New England district championships, which will be held at the XL Center in Hartford on April 15, 16, 17. This provides the team with the opportunity to qualify for the World Championship in St. Louis the following weekend. The Wirecats are the first all-girls team to win a district event, and as a rookie team in 2015, this is a particularly impressive accomplishment. Congratulations!
