WHS Robotics Team Needs Help to Win Grant Money

Wissahickon High School’s robotics team is going for the gold, again.  But this time, the award-winning group is vying for money. It needs lots of help that is easy to give and costs nothing. Of course, it is for a very good cause.

Team 341 hopes to win a $25,000 grant to create a mobile robotics learning center to take to schools and youth groups in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 

WHS science teacher and Team 341 leader Al Ostrow hopes the team finishes in the top 15 of the Pepsi Refresh Grant contest to win the grant money. 

If so, the team would build and provide the only free robotics learning center designed to visit schools, said Ostrow.

The team would also visit youth groups, libraries, festivals and educational conferences, he said.

Over the years he and Team 341 have traveled with their robot, “Miss Daisy,” to inspire children in grades K to 12 to pursue their math, science and technology education,” said Ostrow.

The team certainly has the know-how to build the learning center.  It won the Chairman’s Award from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), its highest accolade, and was invited to the White House, previously reported by Patch.

Ostrow said there are five adult mentors, engineering companies and an experienced team of students ready to work together to build the mobile learning center.

There are several ways to help Team 341 in this contest:

• Text Pepsi at 73774, and punch “108631” into the body of text.
• Vote online every day for the next three weeks at:  www.refresheverything.com/roboticslearningcenter.
• If you buy a Pepsi product with a “Power Vote” label, email the code to aostrow@wsdweb.org so Team 341 can enter it on its site.
• Spread the word amongst friends and those in social networks.