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SPAM robotics team wins FIRST Impact Award, heads to Worlds; district hears program update
Summary
SPAM (STEM) volunteers and students updated the board on a FIRST robotics team that won the Impact Award, described the 115‑pound robot Anemone, said the team ranks first in Florida and is traveling to Worlds, and announced a SPAM Giving Day and end‑of‑year banquet.
Stacy Jones, a long‑time SPAM sponsor and volunteer, told the Martin County School Board that the district’s SPAM robotics program earned the FIRST Impact Award and is preparing to compete at the FIRST Robotics World Championship.
“It's a 115 pound robot,” Jones said, describing the robot named Anemone and the team’s game, Reefscape, which focuses on water and coral tasks. Jones told the board the team won regional competitions and showcased banners from victories in Orlando and Miami.
Jones described the team’s outreach: she said SPAM logged about 2,000 student outreach hours in the last three years, doubled female participation, opened a 6,500‑square‑foot SPAM space next to the district STEM center in December 2023, and serves as a hub for FTC, FLL and other FIRST programs. She said SPAM’s program includes scouting analytics used by teams nationwide and cited six Dean’s List finalists among students associated with SPAM.
Jones asked the board to support a SPAM Giving Day scheduled for May 8 and invited board members to an end‑of‑year banquet on May 10 at the SPAM facility. Deputy Superintendent Tracy Miller introduced the presentation and Andrew Christie, a student from Clark Advanced Learning Center, joined Jones at the podium.
The board received the update with applause and invited the SPAM representatives to take a photo with Superintendent Main and the OMER Award.
