CGLA Hosts VEX Robotics Competition

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Justin Booker filed under STEM, Robotics

On Saturday, January 28, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) hosted the CGLA Regional VEX robotics competition at the school’s new Hutton Gymnasium, located at 1800 Vance Avenue in Highland Park. Sponsored by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), this event is the first of its kind in east TennesseeCompeting teams represented local and regional schools from across the entire state of Tennessee. Participating schools include CGLA in Chattanooga; Brentwood Academy in Nashville; Liberty Technology Magnet High School in Jackson; Johnson County Middle School and Johnson County High School in Mountain City; Soddy Daisy High School; Grundy County High School and Grundy County in Tracy City; Franklin Road Academy in Nashville; and Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High School in Nashville.The competition centered on VEX robotics, which is an educational system designed specifically to encourage students interest in STEM fundamentals and computer science concepts. A comprehensive and rich curriculum, VEX introduces students to robotics technologies and to the impact of robotics on modern business and industry. The VEX platform engages students in activities that spark creativity and enhance the development of collaboration, communication, project management and critical thinking skills.This past Saturday, teams competed with a robot they have built, and each robot must navigate a 12 foot by 12 foot field while responding to and interacting with various challenges and obstacles.