INDIANAPOLIS — A local robotics team is headed to the World Championship in Houston, Texas.
More than 20 students from Tindley Accelerated School in Indianapolis will be making the trip.
“It’s hard to put into words how exciting this is,” said Rufus Cochran, the coach for the team.
Last weekend, the team competed at the state championship and won one of the highest awards. It’s called the “Indiana Engineering Inspiration Award.”
This qualified them to advance to the next round.
“It is a first for the team, and it is very exciting because there will be teams from all over the world,” Cochran said.
Cochran and his wife started the team seven years ago. It started with six students working out of a small closet. Now, there are more than 20 kids in a full lab.
When it comes to making these robots, it’s as hard as it sounds.
“A lot goes into actually building the robot, a lot more than people originally think when they see robots,” said Lamar Worthman, a junior at the school.
Worthman joined the team in eighth grade. He still can’t believe they qualified.
“To join robotics and be able to go to Houston is a big thing because when I joined before, we weren’t able to do any of this stuff,” he said.
Akielah Edwards is one of the newer members. It’s her second year on the team.
“It’s so crazy to me how much of a leap we made in only one year,” she said.
Like many students, this is a big trip for her.
“Going that far away from home is new to me, but I’m just excited to have the opportunity,” Edwards said.
With the after-school program being free, volunteers and students had to work hard to raise money.
“All the equipment you see, it all comes from the mentors and the students working together to get sponsorships in the community,” Cochran said.
Together, the mentors and students are inspiring Indiana, representing the Hoosier state next week.
“The robot is kind of a vehicle to help the student learn a much larger lesson, which is how to use technology to make the world better,” Cochran said.
The team is still raising funds for their trip to Houston. You can find a link to donate by clicking here.
The World Championship is April 19-22.