Pictured from left to right: Coach Dave Tomko, Logan Bush, Roman Adamo, Saige Metro, Logan Patek, Olivia Totin, Jasper Stanisy, Sawyer Stanisky, Luca Paoletta, Leah Crytzer, Mary Nespor, and Coach Kelly Roys.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — A Shenango Valley youth robotics team earned top honors at a global competition, finishing a nine-month season with an international award.
The Sharon Tiger Techs Robotics Team won the first-place core values award at the FIRST LEGO League Western Edge Invitational. The event, which took place from May 26 through June 1, featured nearly 90 teams from around the world. The core values award recognizes groups that show exceptional teamwork, respect, inclusion, and professionalism.
In addition to the team award, head coach Dave Tomko received the coach of the year award for his dedication to robotics education. Tomko is a sixth-grade teacher at Case Avenue Elementary School in Sharon.
The Tiger Techs team consists of 10 students in sixth through ninth grades. The group advanced to the global competition after a successful season in Pennsylvania. They were one of only two teams from the state to qualify for the international event. Before leaving for California, the school district hosted a community send-off celebration for the students at Case Avenue Elementary School and Sharon Middle-High School.
During the season, team members designed, built, and programmed an autonomous robot to complete a series of missions. The competition challenge focused on exploration and discovery.
Aside from the robot performance, the students developed a real-world tool called the Retract-A-Meter. The device helps archaeologists measure excavation grids quickly and accurately to improve consistency during fieldwork.
Outside of competitions, the Tiger Techs participate in community outreach. The students host robotics camps for younger children, run workshop sessions for Girl Scouts, and collaborate with industry professionals. The team even traveled to Washington, D.C., to share their work with a member of the United States Congress.
The program operates under FIRST, a global organization that promotes science and technology education. Community sponsors and the Sharon City School District support the team.