Coronado: robotics, astronaut visit, charity dodgeball
Coronado is the designated District 11 high school - and one of thousands across the country - participating in the annual, extracurricular robotics game created by a private engineering organization: FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Overseen by the school's technology instructors, Coronado's robotics program is organized like a private company, involves community outreach and fundraising and is helmed by a student CEO. Filling the CEO role for a second year is senior Madison Rutherford, who plans next year to attend Massachusetts' Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a major in chemistry and minor in Spanish. There's a January-February time frame for robot design/construction, followed by formal competitions in March and (if sufficient funds are raised) a trip to the national event in St. Louis in April. Afterward, specialists from the foundation held hands-on workshops with engineering students, designing and launching straw rockets. The event was funded by a grant from the Harris Corporation to support the Space Foundation efforts “to interest younger students in considering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers,” a press release states. Now age 60, Lt. Col. Carey, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), was the pilot on Space Shuttle mission STS-109 in 2002. It was the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. During the operation, he logged more than 10 days in space while orbiting Earth 165 times.
The event will be Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Coronado gym at 1590 W. Fillmore St. Proceeds will go to Teens with Promise, a nonprofit organization in Colorado Springs that helps needy teens. About 10 teams from different schools - as well as from Teens with Promise - are expected to compete in the one-day tourney. Admission is free, but donations of cash or “good-condition” clothing will be requested at the door, according to Sheriff's Deputy Travis Kitowski. He is helping organize the fundraiser with the Youth Advisory Council, an informal area-student group that meets monthly with Carey and Elder. Westside Pioneer article |