Avondale High School RoboJackets ranked #1

The Avondale High School RoboJackets head to Detroit this weekend to compete in the 2019 FIRST Robotics World Championship Tournament along with 30,000 students from across the country and around the globe. This is the fourth time the Avondale team has made it to the World competition since establishing in 2014. Over their short five years, they’ve won or ranked in the majority of their competitions while picking up several awards including 2 Creativity Awards, 3 Industrial Design Awards, and 3 Excellence in Engineering Awards. Going into the World Tournament, the team is ranked #1 in the State. “The awards and wins that the RoboJackets have accumulated are only part of the team’s narrative,” said Dr. James Schwarz, Avondale School District Superintendent, “their real story is the vision shared by the students and their mentor coaches. It’s what guides them to continue on their path to success.”

That shared vision goes beyond the fielding of highly competitive machines. It includes a growth mind-set that inspires the students to reach their individual potential while contributing to the team’s success. “The Avondale RoboJackets are the perfect example of preparing students for college or the workforce because they have purpose beyond winning tournaments,” said Schwarz, adding that in addition to helping the students expand their technical skills, the mentor coaches challenge the students to define and refine their workplace skills.

Students have myriad opportunity to develop and apply real-world employable skills including time and task management, communication, problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration. They work together to navigate the complexities of being part of a team that must design and build a robot to perform specific tasks, within a specific time frame, using specific materials. Under the direction of the mentor coaches, students learn to embrace the competition inherent in the program while exhibiting empathy and respect for other teams as part of the FIRST Robotics philosophy of “Gracious Professionalism.” Mentors also inspire the students to commit to a core value system that includes confidence, camaraderie, resilience, reliability, humility, dedication and resourcefulness.

“With so many was to teach and inspire, mentor and provide guidance, our robotics program is the perfect complement to the Avondale School District mission of cultivating innovation and engaging students in real-world experiences to inspire and empower them,” said Schwarz.