McHenry County robotics team advances to world competition

The Golden Ratio Robotics team in Cary beat out nearly 160 teams in Illinois to become one of four teams representing Illinois in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics World Championship.

The FIRST World Championship is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for students.

The Golden Ratio will compete in Houston, Texas against the top robotics teams around the world, with 59 countries represented April 17-20.

The team is made up of five high schoolers from Woodstock, Cary and Island Lake who together designed, prototyped, assembled, and programmed their robot for competition.

They also spend several hours throughout the season each year mentoring and teaching young engineers through local library programs and reaching out to learn from STEM professionals.

FIRST is a competitive team sport for students, age 6 to 18, geared at inspiring students in the STEM fields. Thousands of students participate in FIRST throughout Illinois and tens of thousands compete throughout the world. The FIRST World Championship is the highest level of accomplishment.

The team is in need of donations to cover the expenses and registration fees for the World Championship. If you would like to support this team of young innovators, visit www.givesendgo.com/goldenratio. The Golden Ratio is a registered nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.

Sponsors who wish to have their name on the team marketing material and shirts for World competition are asked to donate by March 28 due to printing deadlines.

Learn more about The Golden Ratio at goldenratiorobotics.com.

For more information on FIRST Illinois Robotics, visit www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.