Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Robotics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Little Turtle students showcase VEX robotics success and life skills
Summary
Students and coaches from Little Turtle Elementary told the Whitley County Consolidated Schools board about the Techno Turtles robotics program, noting state and national competition appearances, volunteer support and how robotics builds STEM and ‘pride’ competencies.
Little Turtle Elementary students and coaches described how the Techno Turtles robotics program teaches STEM skills and character traits to the Whitley County Consolidated Schools Board on April 20.
Julie Turpin, Little Turtle principal, introduced the team and coaches, saying the program has helped students develop problem-solving, communication and district “pride” competencies. Coach Beth Hart told trustees that Little Turtle fields four VEX IQ teams and that Indiana is a national leader in youth robotics, with roughly 1,730 teams statewide and over 970 elementary VEX IQ teams.
A video of matches at the Indiana state tournament (held at Lucas Oil Stadium) reinforced the program’s competitive track record. Coach Ben Cooper, who the presenters said brought the program to Little Turtle and volunteers weekly, recounted that teams have represented Little Turtle at the Indiana State Robotics Championship for the past four years and at the VEX Robotics World Championship three years in a row.
Fifth-grader Cambry Myers said robotics taught her perseverance through repeated testing and refinement of an autonomous routine. “Sometimes it takes a long time for just one part of the robot to work correctly,” Cambry said, describing how the team improved its autonomous performance by state competition.
Fifth-grader Hudson Daily said the program emphasizes respect when interacting with alliance partners and officials at events. Fourth-grader Zach Cooper described the program’s emphasis on initiative and student-led problem solving; Knox Tobias and Oliver Daily spoke about dependability and efficiency developed through weekly practice.
The presenters credited community partners and volunteers — one slide noted the recent tournament grew from 24 teams to 60 teams and drew about 70 volunteers — and thanked sponsors who help sustain the program. Board members and audience members applauded the students and coaches after the presentation.
Looking ahead, coaches invited board members to visit upcoming competitions and noted the district’s pride initiative ties the robotics work to broader character education goals.
