Five teams of students from the E.C. Brice and Corprew Elementary campuses competed in the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) virtual Robotics contest at the beginning of March with two teams earning accolades for their creations.

The TCEA Whirli-bots Motion Commotion Robotics contest challenged students to create their own Robotic Whirli-bot. Using Robotics Kits purchased through a grant from the MPISD Education Foundation, the students created and built their Whirli-bot and created a video to showcase their creation.
Brice Team One earned a Best Design Award in the Grades 3-5 division. Team members Evie Dominguez, Jaylen Gutierrez, Corbin May, and Chelsi Campbell created a multi-geared robot efficiently using one motor to create two spinning rectangle frames as a unique whirligig.

Corprew Team One earned and Honorable Mention award in the Grades 3-5 division. Team members Emili Carrillo, Christian Maldonado, and Jassy Pena-Petatan created a unique horizontal whirligig using one motor and several axles connected with spinning end pieces.

Brice Team Two, made up of Sage Jordan, Katie Snider, and Edgar Moreno made a music themed whirligig that used a unique combination of flexible tubes and spinning gears.

Brice Team Three, made up of Abigail Wooten, Christian Martinez, and Ian Brown paid tribute to our firefighting heroes. Their whirligig was on fire with a fireman trying to put out the flames.
Corprew Team Two, made up of Francisco Equihua, Juliet Luna, Ana Martinez, and Nathan Martinez created a bright blue whirligig with a large gear and a motor carefully balanced on a narrow base.

The MPISD Robotics teams advisor, Jamie King, said “This is the first time for our elementary robotics teams to be recognized in a TCEA competition. We could only achieve this with the help of the MPISD Foundation Grant we received last year that allowed us to purchase the required robotics kits for the competition. We are so thankful for the MPISD Foundation and the wonderful learning experiences we can achieve as a result of the heartfelt support it gives our students!”

Photos:
Corprew Team One
Corprew Team Two
Brice Team One
Brice Team Two
Brice Team Three