TSD Robotics Regional Champions Go To State Finals – April 13 in Deer Park (Houston) Texas
TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Keena Miller
Phone: 512-462-5328, cell: 512-658-4444
Email: [email protected]
FOR RELEASE APRIL 13, 2013
Texas School for the Deaf Team Advances to State Robotics Meet
TEXAS COMPUTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL STATE ROBOTICS CONTEST
Deer Park, Texas – April 13
Austin, Texas – April 13, 2013 – Students from the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) join more than 190 teams and 800 students from all over the state, participating in Texas’ Annual State Robotics Competition today in Deer Park, hosted by the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA).
TCEA is a non-profit education organization dedicated to helping educators innovate teaching and learning through professional development opportunities and exposure to new and emerging technologies.
TSD’s first robotics class was formed in 2011 after robotics teacher, Paul Stropko, attended the University of Texas’ Design, Technology, and Engineering for All Children (DTEACh) Innovation Institute for Robotics. DTEACh’s cutting-edge training program introduces K-12 educators to engineering design using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology.
“Now, in our second year at TSD, Stropko says, students are ready to show off their [Robotics] skills and compete among others across Texas. This is really exciting for us.”
The TSD ‘Deaf YLasterbots’ team – robotics students, Sophomore-Scott Bartlett (from San Antonio), Freshmen-Reno Jannett (from Austin), Braden Hamaker (Georgetown), and Lee McDuffie (Killeen), qualified for the state finals after winning first place at the regional level in January. It was the team’s very first time to compete.
Stropko, couldn’t be more proud of the students’ accomplishments. “They did a phenomenal job, he said.
“Winning first place at the regional level, where they competed for the first time ever, I am so proud they made it to the top. We are pumped and ready for the state finals.”
WHAT: Texas Computer Engineering Association’s (TCEA) State Robotics Competition
WHEN: Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Deer Park High School South
710 West San Augustine
Deer Park, TX 77536
MORE: Visit: http://tcea.org/robotics/state.
###
ABOUT THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (TSD)
The Texas School for the Deaf is the oldest continuously operating public school in Texas. Educating deaf and hard of hearing students of Texas since 1856, the campus also provides outreach and educational resources for students, their families and professionals in the field throughout the state of Texas. With educational excellence and a strong belief in a culture and community at TSD, students form a unique identity based on their individual strengths and talents. TSD is an environment where students learn, grow, and belong. For more information about the Texas School for the Deaf, visit http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/.
ABOUT TEXAS COMPUTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION’S (TCEA) STATE ROBOTICS CONTEST
Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) is a non-profit education organization devoted to the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, TCEA focuses on integrating technology into the PreK-12 environment and providing its members with state-of-the-art information and collaborations with higher education and business. To inspire young people to become science and technology leaders, TCEA’s robotics contests challenges students from elementary and secondary schools to design, collaborate, plan, redesign, construct, create, assemble, invent, reinvent, write, present, and compete to see who has developed the smartest robot. To learn more, visit: www.tcea.org/robotics.
Keena Miller: Outreach and Community Relations Specialist at Texas School for the Deaf
Work: 512-462-5328 | Fax: 512-462-5661
Email: [email protected]
Pictured Left to Right (after winning TCEA’s Regional Championship):
Paul Stropko – Robotics coach, Scott Barlett, Reno Jannett and Braden Hamaker;
Not pictured: Lee McDuffie.