Lake Forest All-Girls Robotics Team Headed to State Championships

LAKE FOREST, IL - The Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart's robotics team is getting ready to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championships event after winning four awards at last month's qualifying event at Highland Park High School. The Wildcats' Robotics Club at the all-girls day and boarding college-preparatory high school in Lake Forest is currently working on how to improve the motor skills of the robot its students have built. So far, it can be programmed to hoist a yoga ball 30 inches off the ground, park at a specific location or knock the ball off of its starting stand.

"I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such brilliant young women on this robotics team,” said Robotics Club President Elizabeth Bartusiak, a senior from Lake Forest. “Traditionally, girls are not encouraged to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), but Woodlands Academy provides the encouragement and resources needed for girls to explore robotics and engineering in a positive and supportive way."

All-girls' schools graduate many women who become our nation's scientists, doctors, engineers and inventors, according to the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, which cites research showing graduates of all-girls' schools are more likely to consider majoring in math, science and technology and to consider engineering careers than those that attend mixed gender schools.

“I am so proud of our students for all of their hard work and dedication that was recognized in the form of these outstanding awards,” said physics teacher John Denman, moderator of the Robotics Club at Woodlands Academy. "Each one of our nearly 20 club members had a role in getting the team to FTC’s Illinois State Championship Tournament." Those roles included several committees including Building, Programming, Budget, Community Outreach and Social Media.

The competition is sponsored by FTC, one of four programs offered by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a non-profit that encourages students to pursue education and careers in STEM by challenging students in grades 7-12 to design, build and program robots. The state championship tournament takes place Feb. 25 at Elgin Community College.

Photo: Woodlands Academy Robotics Club President Elizabeth Bartusiak, a senior from Lake Forest, suggests the use of some foam as one possible refinement to the school’s entry in the upcoming FTC Illinois State Championship event in Elgin, courtesy Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart