RoboPups 28806
RoboDogs 62832
Would you or someone you know like to be part of the Kettle Falls Robotics Team? Then we would love to have you!
The RoboPups and RoboDogs are open to any 5-8th graders who are interested in Lego robotics. Our practices are held in the Kettle Falls Middle School, though we have a close relationship with the middle school, we are not part of the school. We have homeschool students and kids from surrounding districts on the team every year.
The teams compete in FIRST Lego League (FLL) which is run by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The season starts in August and typically runs until mid-January. Each year there is a brand-new game, and each team designs, builds and programs an autonomous robot to compete for points in that game. At the same time, the team will do a research project and put together a presentation. Both the presentations and the robot game are part of the competitions.
In Mid-December, we head to Spokane along with dozens of other teams from eastern Washington for our first round of competition. It’s an all-day event with hundreds of other kids who are all into robotics. If the team does well enough, we head to another round of competition in January.
F.A.Q.
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When does the team meet?
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Typically, twice a week after school. At our first meeting in August, we work with the families to pick a schedule that gives the most kids a chance to participate. Starting around Thanksgiving, we often have a few Saturday practices as well.
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What about schedule conflicts, sports, etc…
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We do our best to be accommodating with the schedule often having evening practices but it is difficult. If you know you’re going to have a conflict, let us know at the beginning of the season, and we’ll do what we can.
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How big of a commitment is being on a team?
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We typically compare it to any other sports team; we meet less often but have a longer season. Like any other sport, your team depends on you, so we’d like to see you as often as possible.
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Is there a cost to being on the team?
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Yes, $35.00. The fee covers a t-shirt, snacks, entry fees, etc. The last thing we want is to exclude anyone for money. If the fee would inhibit your participation, please let us know, we will work something out.
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Do you take donations?
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Yes! We are a 501c3. If you are interested to donating, Thank You! Please contact us.
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What about transportation?
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Unfortunately, we do not provide transportation to practices or events. Families are responsible for getting their kids to all team events.
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What dates are the events?
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We can’t be more specific than Mid-December for the first event and Mid to Late-January for the second. Every year the schedule changes a little, and we usually don’t find out until November.
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How many kids can be on the teams?
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Typically, we look to have about 6 kids per team. We have two teams now because of the great turnout.
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