FIRST Tech Challenge Team 11208, Kardia Robotics, competed at the Hat Tricks Qualifying Tournament in Horsham, PA recently, earning a trip to the state competition. 30 teams, from five different states, attended the event on December 2nd. The robotics team consists of 14 middle and high school students from Lancaster and Berks County who attend Kardia Learning Center, a Christian homeschool cooperative located near Reading.
At Horsham, their first competition of the 2017-2018 competitive season, Kardia captured the prestigious THINK Award. This distinction is given the team that best reflects the journey their team has taken in designing, programming, and marketing their robot throughout the season. The key to earning this award is the development of an exemplary engineering notebook that chronicles the science and math used to engineer the robot, as well as the intricacies of game strategy, robot coding, marketing and outreach efforts. Additionally, winners of the THINK Award also demonstrate strong “Gracious Professionalism” toward everyone at a FIRST event. “Gracious Professionalism” is the heart of the FIRST philosophy. It places emphasis on high-quality work, valuing others, respecting everyone, and competing with grace, humility, and integrity. Tournament judges noted this about Kardia, “No matter where this team goes to do their learning, they are always thinking. The documentation in their notebook is detailed from design to prototyping and construction. This team’s process gives their brains a cardio workout.”
Furthermore, Kardia earned a spot in the Pennsylvania State Tournament, by finishing as the runner-up for the coveted INSPIRE Award. This award is bestowed upon the team who best embodies the overall spirit of the FIRST Tech Challenge. This designation comes in Kardia’s fourth-ever competitive tournament.
“I am so proud of what our team has accomplished so far. It is a tribute to how we truly are a team which exemplifies gracious professionalism, but also exemplifies the Biblical principles of our team verse (1 Cor. 12:12, 25-26),” said Dr. Timothy Tam, one of Kardia’s coaches and mentors. “It would be an understatement to say everyone is really excited about going to States! The amazing thing is how quickly and dramatically this all happened, and I believe, it was an expression of God’s grace on us.”
Kardia Robotics will compete in two more tournaments before heading to the state tournament in York, on February 24th.
