C.O. students do well at Camp Fire Robotics Challenge

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- – For the third year in a row, Camp Fire Central Oregon has experienced big wins in its robotics program, most recently coming away from the FIRST® LEGO® League Robotics SUPERCHALLENGE Tournament with not just the opportunity to advance to the state championship but an important award in hand.

Camp Fire Central Oregon sent four teams totaling nearly 30 kids in early December to the Bend-based regional tournament. There, its “Team Tectonic Plates” earned the chance to advance to the upcoming state competition and also received the “Core Values Award” for demonstrating the FIRST® philosophies of "Gracious Professionalism" and "Cooperation" through its Core Values of Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork and Fun.

“So many of the FIRST® Core Values align with the values of Camp Fire Central Oregon, so it was really exciting to experience that synergy and connection around values, not to mention the exciting challenges presented by the tournament itself,” says Javier Leiva, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s technology program manager. “All of us—the kids, their families and friends, Coach Andrew Navarre and the rest of our Camp Fire staff are really proud of this accomplishment.”

The win, plus the mindset and abilities that achieved it, collectively reflects the positive, research-supported impacts of robotics and STEM, which are proven to help kids think outside the box, practice innovation, and problem-solve both individually and as a team. It also helps robotics kids like Gavin Schultz, a “Team Tectonic Plates” member, gain life-long perspectives and thrive in the face of competitive challenges.

“The competition was a really fun kind of stress,” Schultz says. “"I'm super happy that we advanced to State, but I would have had just as much fun even if we didn't. I think Lego Robotics is really awesome!"

Of note, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s robotics program has recently benefited from a greatly appreciated boost in funding thanks to donors and key sponsors, including: Lonza, the Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation, the Braemar Charitable Trust, and the Central Oregon Health Council.

The funding has gone directly to the robotics program expansion, allowing the nonprofit to offer more tech programs, including more teams throughout Central Oregon. In fact, the winning team was a brand-new group of kids from throughout the area, based out of Redmond.

In addition, sponsorship dollars—made possible through such donations—support scholarships, making robotics programs more accessible to all kids in Central Oregon. Camp Fire Central Oregon hosts a number of year-round and summer tech programs of varying levels for a fee, plus occasional clinics where kids can explore their interest in robotics for free.

The Tectonic Plates will head to Hillsboro, Ore., on Saturday to compete in the state competition.