K-W robotics team shows off 2024 robot

After a solid showing at a recent competition, Kenyon-Wanamingo’s robotics team showed off its latest contraption and shared a bit about its latest work with members of the Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board and Superintendent Beth Giese.

With robust support from the Gene Haas Foundation, Ryan Overby Trucking and Strongwell, plus some help from several recent graduates, K-W robotics painstakingly designed and built its robot “Sparky” over the course of six build weekends.

The culmination of that hard work came at the Granite City Regional in St. Cloud, where Team 3848 under the name “Bots in Shining Armour” was able to compete in 10 competitions across teams from the Upper Midwest, many from much larger schools.

Team 3848 was able to prevail in two of the 10 matches in which it competed and was competitive in others, with its robot showcasing agility achieved from the precise design, complex coding and careful craftsmanship of the K-W students who built it.

At a time when K-W is implementing deep and painful budget cuts, robotics advisor Doug Thompson said he strongly believes that team robotics is poised to parlay the generous donations and volunteer hours into increasing strength in the coming years.

Though overall enrollment at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School is up this year, Thompson said that this was a bit of a “rebuilding year” for K-W robotics. In the coming years, he sees the program as set to “blossom” as young, enthusiastic students continue to hone their skills.

After years of steady growth, Thompson noted that robotics teams across the state were hit hard by the disruption of COVID-19 and have still not fully recovered. The total number of teams across the state is now at 188 and rising, but it was around 220 before the pandemic hit.

At Kenyon-Wanamingo, the high school robotics as well as the Middle School youth coding league which has become something of a feeder program provide students with invaluable experience and skills easily parlayed into a career in a high-demand STEM-related field.

However, students on the robotics team are getting much more out of the experience than just coding and engineering skills. Under Thompson’s watchful eye, the team has become a tight-knit family, with students supporting each other through the ups and downs of what can be a tumultuous time in life.

Giese and Board Chair Tonya Craig praised Thompson for his selfless leadership of the team, crediting his passion and commitment to supporting his students in any way possible for keeping returning students and alumni enthusiastic about coming back.

“It’s been a passion, because I can see what it does for kids,” Thompson said.