High Rocks-Fairmont State Robotics Education

NASA's IV&V Program has awarded the Educator Resource Center (managed by Fairmont State University) to a 3 year initiative targeting counties with little or no current involvement in competitive robotics. In year 1, the program will target high schools with the goal of increasing the number of VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) teams to ensure that VRC reaches and maintains the critical mass required for recognition as a school sport by the WVSSAC. In year 2, a previously funded high school team will receive additional support but they must recruit and sponsor two elementary/middle school VEX IQ teams in their district (ideally ones that feed their high school). In year 3, the same approach will be used with the intent to create an elementary - high school pipeline. At the conclusion of the 3-year project, we expect to have started 20 high school VRC teams, 40 middle school VEX IQ teams, and 40 elementary school VEX IQ teams. By the end of the third year, each of the 20 districts should have 1 well trained and sustainable high school level VRC team and 4 IQ teams at the middle and elementary levels feeding into it. We believe this model is the most likely to produce long term success.