Oldenburg Academy Receives Generous Grant to Support Launch of Robotics Team

A countywide VEX VRC High School robotics team is composed of students from Ripley County.

Photo provided.

(Oldenburg, Ind.) - The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has awarded Oldenburg Academy $15,879 to support the launch of High School Robotics Teams in and around Southeastern Indiana. This funding comes from the IDOE’s K-12 Robotics Competition Grant, which was created to support schools as they provide opportunities to increase interest and improve skills in STEM through participation in competitive robotics programs that provide hands-on learning experiences, establish community partnerships to increase awareness of local workforce and postsecondary opportunities, highlight career opportunities through adult mentors, and prioritize a connection to manufacturing, machining, and fabrication skills for students in grades 9 through 12.

With the support of the IDOE K-12 Robotics Competition Grant, Oldenburg Academy, in partnership with Genesis: Pathways to Success, has established a countywide VEX VRC High School robotics team. This team is coached by Genesis: Pathways to Success staff member, Amelia Comer, and is composed of students from Oldenburg Academy and other Ripley County High Schools, specifically Batesville and Milan High Schools.

"This is a huge opportunity to empower students and foster their passion for STEM and robotics in Southeastern Indiana. We are thrilled to partner with Genesis: Pathways to Success, and look forward to the robust competition in the months ahead," stated Annette Hunger, President of Oldenburg Academy.

With robust VEX IQ Robotics programs in numerous elementary and middle schools, local educators identified a need for higher-level robotics programming, and this initiative is an opportunity to ensure that all students in and around Ripley County have the opportunity to participate in a high school robotics team. The IDOE K-12 Robotics Competition Grant will bridge the robotics gap between middle school and high school, while also preparing students with the knowledge and skills sought by local manufacturers who use robots.

“Participating in VEX Robotics Competitions allows students to work on a variety of skills, including critical thinking and problem-solving, while learning necessary robotics concepts,” said Amelia Comer, Assistant Program Coordinator of Genesis: Pathways to Success. “These students were tasked with not only learning the competition but also how to work with significantly different robotics materials compared to VEX IQ, which were all plastic parts. As a token of their successful first year, our goal is to increase the number of participants as we start recruiting for next year’s team.”

Schools in and around Ripley County expected to benefit from the K-12 Robotics Competition Grant are the Batesville Community School Corporation, Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation, Milan Community School Corporation, Oldenburg Academy, and South Ripley Community School Corporation.

To learn more information about the K-12 Robotics Competition Grant, visit the IDOE’s website at www.in.gov/doe/. To acquire additional information about the robotics program being implemented in Southeastern Indiana, please contact Annette Hunger by emailing ahunger@oldenburgacademy.org, calling 812-934-4440, or visiting 1 Twister Circle, Oldenburg, IN, 47036.