HDSB teams excel in the 2023-2024 competitive robotics season
Five Halton District School Board teams competed in this year’s FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and seven HDSB teams participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for the 2023-2024 season. Students designed, built, programmed and competed with robots to tackle the challenge presented by this year’s game.
Charles Woods, head mentor for FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1334 and teacher at Oakville Trafalgar HS, says that participation in robotics competitions “offers our students the opportunity to apply the theories they learn in class, and expand on those lessons with the guidance of volunteer mentors with professional technology, business and engineering expertise. The experiential learning offered through the team also provides outstanding leadership opportunities to our students, where they must overcome the real-world challenges faced by businesses including facing limited time and resources while getting a product market ready - in our case, getting our robot ready to compete.”
Participation in robotics competitions is one example of how HDSB staff are creating learning conditions to elevate student success and bring to life the ‘Learning & Achievement’ area of focus in the HDSB’s 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan.
Woods elaborates on the benefits the program provides to students: “Many of our students have been recognized for their accomplishments on the team with co-op or summer positions with our sponsors or prestigious leadership scholarships at university. Every student learns resilience as they discover first-hand that innovation requires learning from your mistakes while finding solutions under pressure. Through this process we are forging the leaders of the future.”
Tyler Wright, teacher at Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS and one of the lead mentors for the school’s FTC teams, agrees that robotics programs have “truly been a cornerstone of hands-on learning and skill development at our school. Through this program, students delve into the realms of design, manufacturing, programming and business relations, cultivating a diverse skill set that extends far beyond the confines of the classroom.”
Wright believes that the teams' achievements “speak volumes about their commitment and capabilities. Being finalists at one event and securing multiple award categories, including the prestigious Connect Award, showcases the exceptional talent and teamwork present within our robotics community at Hayden. Furthermore, the qualification of two teams for the provincial championship underscores our students' prowess and dedication to excellence.”
Read a brief overview of each HDSB team’s competition season below.
FIRST Tech Challenge Teams
Team 22034 Packbot from Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS competed in the Central Scarborough and Aurora Qualifiers, winning the 3rd place Connect Award in Scarborough.
Team 22035 Tundra from Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS won the 2nd Place Connect Award at the Aurora Qualifier, and the Innovate and Compass Awards at the Central Scarborough Qualifier.
Team 22075 R.G.B. from Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS won the 2nd Place Think Award at the Central Scarborough Qualifier. They won the 3rd Place Inspire Award, Think Award, and were on the Finalist Alliance at the Aurora Qualifier.
Team 23880 from Nelson HS competed for the first time this year, winning three matches in their inaugural season.
Team 24302 The Scraps from Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS won the Motivate and Compass Awards at the Aurora Qualifier, and the Connect Award and 3rd Place Inspire Award at the Central Scarborough Qualifier.
FIRST Robotics Competition Teams
Team 1334 Red Devils from Oakville Trafalgar HS won the Team Spirit Award at the McMaster University Event. The team collected and donated eclipse glasses to Astronomers Without Borders, an organization that distributes the glasses to areas that would not otherwise have access to them, thereby reducing their environmental impact.
Team 2200 MMRambotics from M. M. Robinson HS won an award at each competition they attended this year: three Industrial Design Awards and one Quality Award. They were District Event Finalists at the Humber College Event, and District Event Winners at the McMaster University Event. Team 2200 ranked 1st out of 74 teams in the Curie Division at the World Championships in Houston, Texas, and won one playoff match.
Team 2386 Trojans from Burlington Central HS won the Quality Award at the McMaster District Event for their well-constructed robot. The team consistently ranked within the Top 12 teams at each competition they attended, and were Alliance Captains at both the McMaster University and Newmarket Complex Events.
Team 4976 Revolt Robotics from Georgetown HS had a strong competition season, winning 21 matches and ranking 35th out of 175 Ontario District teams overall. Revolt Robotics participated in a STEAM night at Glen Williams Public School, teaching the elementary students how to drive their robot. The team was also featured in an article in Halton Hills Today, and team member Aryan Dhawan was recognized for winning the prestigious hackathon, Hack the North, on the HDSB’s social media accounts.
After hosting a board-wide FIRST Robotics Competition kickoff event attended by all seven HDSB teams at the beginning of the season, Team 4992 Sparbotics from Craig Kielburger SS went undefeated in the playoffs at the McMaster University Event, ultimately becoming District Event Finalists.
Team 5409 Chargers from Garth Webb SS competed in the North Bay and McMaster University Events, ranking 3rd and 2nd while winning a Quality Award and Excellence in Engineering Award, respectively. The team excelled at the Ontario Provincial Championships, winning the Autonomous Award and becoming District Championship Finalists in the Technology Division. The Chargers continued their season at the World Championships in Houston, Texas, winning three matches at the highest level of competition.
Team 9263 ALD Lions from Aldershot HS had a solid performance in their second year as a team. They built an effective robot to compete in the Centennial and McMaster University Events, winning eight matches in their official season.
