Lincoln, HMS students participate in FHSU Lego Robotics Competition

USD 489

Fort Hays State University hosted its 12th-annual Western Kansas Lego Robotics Competition on April 28 in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Eighty-one teams from Western Kansas brought 245 students for the competition.

Lincoln’s Principal Elaine Rohleder said it has been a goal at Lincoln to encourage students to be more involved in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Fifth grade teacher Monica Dreiling and technology assistant Regina Hammerschmidt each wrote grants to help pay

robotics-trophy — Hays Middle School students placed first overall and received a traveling trophy to display at HMS until next year’s competition.

For the Dash and Dot robots, Dreiling received a $1,500 grant from the Heartland Community Foundation, and Hammerschmidt received a $1,750 grant through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

Lincoln students programmed their robots in their regular classrooms, as well as the computer lab.

Hays Middle School exploratory and industrial technology teacher Brad Moritz sponsors the Robotics Club for the middle school.

Hays Middle School students placed first overall and received a traveling trophy to display at HMS until next year’s competition. Hays Middle School also earned the most overall points out of all of the participating teams with 18.

robotics-examples — Examples of the students’ robots along with the trophy the HMS students won.

HMS students competed against 15 other schools, which included 34 teams. HMS took one team with five robots.