County Durham pupils head to USA for prestigious STEM competition
A group of pupils from County Durham will be heading to the US later this month - to take part in a prestigious STEM competition.
A group of pupils from County Durham will be heading to the US later this month - to take part in a prestigious STEM competition.
The Robotics Team from Tanfield School have qualified for the VEX VRC finals in Dallas, Texas, and are the first ever North East team to qualify in this division.
VEX Robotics is an international programme that provides children with open-ended robotics challenges that enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.
The VRC Division is for secondary school age pupils.
The Tanfield School team is made up of Kaylem, Lucy, Kayla and Emily, with support from their teacher Mr Carr.
Kaylem tells us it was a delightful surprise to find out they were going to America;
"A bit shocked really, because we didn't find out for a couple of days after our school got the invitation,
"We had the mindset that we didn't make it, quite this time - but I think we were a bit shocked when we found out we were actually going."
They have had to design and build a robot, which will travel to the USA with them to take on challenges against other teams from around the world.
Kayla explains what she is most excited for;
"Meeting new cultures, and new teams from across the world who have all come together from a similar passion and a similar mindset,
"I think it's really cool to see how other people interpret it and how it's a global thing."
Lucy agrees;
"I think it's just a real spectacle to go and see the World Robotics - we've seen the national levels but now we get to see amazing robots, and I'm really excited to see the game reveal at the end."
Emily tells us it's a great team effort - and a fantastic opportunity;
"Working with them to complete a goal - we might win, we might not win - it'll be a good experience either way.
"It's a really good atmosphere, being amongst people who've worked so hard, like we have."
Mr Carr, is the Robotics teacher at Tanfield School, and is supporting the team through the competition;
"They have competed against teams where the students are much older than them,
"There are a lot of teams which come from independent schools with much higher budgets than we've got as a school,
"They have worked immensely hard - they've done brilliantly all season - I couldn't be any more proud of them.
"It's unbelievable, it's a massive achievement - it's like going to the Olympics, it's the Olympics of Robotics,
"We're like one of those smaller nations going away to the Olympics."
He also wanted to thank the team's sponsors;
"We couldn't have done it without some very generous sponsors - Dyer Engineering, The North East Stem Foundation and the Reece Foundation.
"They have been very kind."
The Tanfield School team will be heading to Dallas, Texas later in April to take part in the World Finals.