EAST LONGMEADOW – Birchland Park Middle School students have been working hard for nearly a year to create four different versions of a robot for their VEX IQ Robotics Team, E.L. Alpha Tech.

As the VEX website explains, “The world faces an unprecedented need for new innovators, thinkers, and problem solving leaders. At current rates there are simply not enough students choosing STEM-related paths to meet the global demand.” The website continues to explain that they create kits of tools that are given to robotics teams prior to building their robots so that the students who are competing against one another are on a level playing field with the same resources.

Students Sarim Khan, Lucas Mantoni, Samir Khan, Andrew Gartska, Ava Mendes, and Grace Moltenbrey make up the E.L. Alpha Tech robotics team. The group worked together throughout the past summer and school year to create their robot under specific guidelines and requirements to perform various tasks. In addition to the creation of their robot, the team put together a STEM research project on math that was presented in a video format.

In December of 2018, the team completed in the Hopkinton IQ Next Level Qualifer and won the Teamwork Champion Award and qualified to compete in the Southern New England Championship and CREATE U.S. Open Robotics Championship tournaments. In January of this year, the team competed in another Hopkinton IQ Next Level Qualifer tournament and won an award for their STEM Research Project, which again allowed them to compete in the Southern New England Championship tournament. In March, they moved on to compete in the Southern New England Championship tournament and won the Teamwork Second Place award, which is a qualifier for the VEX IQ Worlds Championship tournament.

In the beginning of April, the team, along with financial help from their families, friends and local businesses, traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to compete in the CREATE U.S. Open Robotics Championship. While the team did not come back to town with any awards, they were able to network with students from across the United States and exchange contact information so they can collaborate and build ongoing friendships. Sponsors for the students travel include: DG Graphics, EJ Villamaino Paving, Gomes, Da Cruz & Tracy P.C., Hot Table, Make it METRO, PV Financial, R.N.R. Home Improvement and Tony Villamaino Painting.

Finally, at the close of April, the team traveled to the VEX IQ Worlds Championship tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. The students were able to collaborate with students from all over the world and create long-lasting memories.

Heading into their next competition season, parent Susan Mantoni told Reminder Publishing that the students will have many new resources to utilize and that they can’t wait to get started.

The incoming year’s game is called “Squared Away.”

“The kids were so excited, we had the game pieces ordered the night of the new game release,” Mantoni said. “The team has also been contacted by students from an area town asking how they, too, could make an independent team to compete in this year’s competition. Our team has offered to be their mentors and help guide them through their first year.”

Currently, the E.L. Alpha Teach team is brainstorming robot designs and analyzing the game as the tasks of the robot poses a challenge.