Robotics team comes charged up and ready
KINGMAN – Team 60 and their robot Redux are unplugged, charged up, and ready to compete. Kingman High School’s (KHS) Robotics Club Team 60 is set to compete in their first competition of the year in Scottsdale, March 15 through 18. This is a For Inspiration & Recognition in Science & Technology (FIRST) robotics competition that will test the functionality of the team’s robot and the skills of the robot team. This competition can be viewed at thebluealliance.com/team/60.
Team 60, frcteam60.com/, has been competing in FIRST competitions for more than 20 years with help from long time mentors Jody Schanaman, Celeste Lucier, George Williams, Doug and Melissa Scholl, Marlene and Rebecca Leggett, and Robert Brackett ,Sr. With help from these mentors, Team 60 regularly enters the finals during robotic competitions and has become a four-time world champion. The heart of the team is made up of a mixed bag of Kingman area students led by club president Derrick Ott, his 4.0 GPA, and his passion for engineering. Ott got involved with Team 60 five years ago. Today he is a senior at Kingman High School with plans to attend Arizona State University.
Kingman teens are invited to be a part of Team 60. The heart of this project is about encouraging a teen’s interest in robotics, mentoring their skills, build their self-esteem, and raising their confidence. The big picture is that the mentors want to give these teens the ability to learn, think, and work as a team in the spirit of cooperation. Imagine thousands of kids at a robotic competition helping each other, trading parts and ideas with other teams, making friends and connections, and never having a problem amongst them.
In robotics, to go from concept to competition there are many steps, different aspects, and positions to be filled. Any student with an interest can get involved. The point is to foster the student’s talent with Team 60. If a teen is not interested in robot design, machining, building, or the actual competition, but is skilled in computing, code writing, or maybe public relations, they are invited to be a part of the team. Social media, public speaking, and grant writing can be good practice and the experience can be taken to a university or into the work force. Any student with interest can come be a part of Team 60 and they will be mentored to enhance their talent. This learning experience is a stepping stone into the future.
Team 60 was established in 1996 and it is self-sustaining. The team has finished first in many regional competitions in its 27-year existence. They have won engineering inspiration awards, qualified for world competitions, produced two Woodie Flowers honorees, and currently holds a title as Arizona State AIA Robotic champion.
Team 60 is happy to give back to the community. They given ‘sweat equity’ to Kingman through volunteerism and community work. “We [Team 60] love giving back to the community, so please don’t stop asking for our help,” said Jody Schanaman.
Team 60 does not have a permanent home. They have bounced around from place to place over the years and are currently being accommodated at KHS. The Kingman Unified School District has recognized Team 60 for their volunteerism, the mentoring of students, and has donated a piece of land for a new STEM building. The team is trying to raise a total $350,000 for the new building and its construction. They are raising money with a Go Fund me account, grants, donations from the community, tax credits, and sponsorships from local businesses. Local businesses who have pledged assistance include NUCOR, Preston Investments, Desert Construction, True Value, Legget Engineering, Lehr Architecture, and Carlton Surveying.
The GoFundMe link is gofundme.com/f/kingman-robotics-stem-building. Team 60 can be reached at firstteam60robotics@gmail.com, or by calling Schanaman at 928-279-5274, or Celeste Lucier at 928-337-8586. Donations can be sent directly to Kingman Robotics Team 60 at P.O. Box 6492, Kingman, AZ 86402. Tax credits can be claimed on personal income tax returns and sponsorships from businesses are always welcome.
Team 60’s next competition will be March 28 through April 1 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Estevan Hernandez
