Robots took center stage at the Kern County Fairgrounds as Bakersfield hosted the Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation Central California State Championship on March 4, 2017.
Eight KHSD teams from three different high schools participated in the event that was attended by more than 100 teams from elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. Teams from Bakersfield High School, Centennial High School, and Frontier High School competed in various skills challenges and many of those students also volunteered their time to assist event organizers and younger teams.
The KHSD currently has ten comprehensive high schools with one or more robotics teams on the competition circuit and those programs are expected to continue to expand.
“The Kern High School District is a catalyst for growing robotics programs locally because of the tremendous amount of time our coaches and students spend volunteering and mentoring elementary and middle school students. They are hosting and organizing events all over the county and acting as referees, score keepers, and judges.” – Kenelee Henderson, Robotics Advisor, Frontier High School
Colin Smith, the Robotics Advisor at Centennial High School, was awarded the REC Volunteer of the Year Award for his dedication and countless hours growing the local programs.
While some local teams made it to the final round of competition this year, no KHSD robotics students advanced to the VEX Robotic World Championships.