MCC names 2018 Robotics Scrimmage winners

McHenry County College recently hosted its third annual high school Robotics Scrimmage, offering high school students an opportunity to showcase their science, technology, engineering and math skills. The event included 152 high school students from seven McHenry County high schools.

The students were judged on a challenge activity that included stacking plastic cones and moving stacked plastic cones into a corner. Awards were given for the team whose robot successfully moved/stacked the most cones.

"This competition allows students to use their skills to take information they've learned in class and put those ideas into motion," said Diana Sharp, dean of Career and Technical Education at MCC. "Students apply their math, physics and programming skills to make a robot do a specific task. The students must also utilize automation strategies to effectively and efficiently complete the challenge as well as work together as a team."

Sharp added that the mission of the robotics competition is to highlight and promote the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and to make students aware that MCC offers classes in robotics, engineering, programming, manufacturing, app development and digital media.

These schools took home medals from the Robotic Scrimmage: Crystal Lake Central High School, Teams 1 and 2, champions; Huntley High School, Team 3 and Cary-Grove High School, Team 1, finalists; McHenry West High School, Teams 3 and 4 and Woodstock North High School, Teams 1 and 2, semifinalists.

For more information about MCC's Robotics program, contact Jack Brzezinski at (815) 8578 or jbrzezinski@mchenry.edu or Diana Sharp at (815) 455-8996 or dsharp@mchenry.edu or visit www.mchenry.edu/robotics.