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Citrus County high school robotics team showcases build, community work and scholarships
Summary
Students from team Olympians presented their FIRST Robotics project to the Citrus County School Board, described a June STEM camp, community partnerships and recent awards, and noted $6,000 in Education Foundation support.
The Citrus County School Board heard a presentation from the Olympians, a FIRST Robotics Competition team of 19 high school students, during opening exercises and a district spotlight.
The program, which serves students from ninth through 12th grades across the district, has operated for three years and this year received a $6,000 grant from the Citrus County Education Foundation, district administrator Renee Johnson said. Mentor Juana Lee Ensley told the board the team’s activities extend beyond building robots: students pursue scholarship opportunities, internships, and community service such as STEM library days and hurricane relief.
Student co-captain Monica Cortez told the board that FIRST Robotics “isn’t simply just building a robot” but “building students,” adding that the program offers access to global networks and internships that support career paths. Co-captain Christian Raber described the team’s volunteer work at community events including the Dragon Boat Festival and the Manatee Festival and said the team is hosting a STEM/STEAM camp June 2–5 for elementary and middle school students.
The students demonstrated parts of their competition robot, which they named Charybdis (nicknamed “chamfer”), explained game mechanics for this season’s “reefscape” challenge, and described design choices. Students said many parts were 3D-printed in-house or manufactured by local donors; the Citrus County Fire Department donated aluminum extrusions and a local CNC shop provided additional parts. Team members said they began the year with $1,000 in school board seed funding and relied on community sponsors to scale up.
Mentor Ensley noted early competition successes — an inspirational rookie award in the first year and a recent rising-star award — and emphasized ongoing resource needs as the team prepares for more competitions. Board members and district staff congratulated the students and invited them to return after competition season.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; the item was informational.
