Brevard students ask for recognition, practice space and funding for robotics teams after regional success

Two student leaders from Brevard FIRST robotics teams — Kirsten of Wingspan (Viera) and Daniella of Voltage — made an impromptu presentation at the March 31 work session to share recent regional competition success and requests for support. Kirsten said the teams compete at national and international regional events and that Wingspan won at the Orlando regional; she told the board she will represent Brevard at the world championship in Houston in late April.

Students described FIRST’s progression (FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Robotics Competition) and the wide range of student roles — engineering, software, business and outreach — and said teams are volunteer‑built and costly to run. One student said the program cost structure can approach six‑figure budgets for teams that can support that scale, but many student teams operate with far smaller accounts and rely on fundraising and sponsors.

Students asked the board to consider district recognition, cleared practice space that could be available for weekends, and modest financial support or equipment/storage space; board members praised the students and asked staff to include a more formal presentation and a demonstration at the April workshop, with the students expected to present budget details and specific asks then.

Next steps: students will return to the April workshop with a fuller presentation and demonstration; staff will evaluate options for practice space, sponsorship pathways and modest district recognition or seed funding.