FIRST, which stands for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology’, was created to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools, and their communities. You can learn more here: firstaustralia.org

The Narooma RoboRebels will again join 50 student teams from around Australia, as well as neighbouring countries of the Asia Pacific including Singapore, Taiwan, India and China to compete in the championships.  

The RoboRebels last year after the first round of competition did the community proud being ranked at 25 out 50, only one spot out of the finals, a magnificent effort considering most of the other teams were from universities and big city private schools.

Click here to see the Narooma team competing at FIRST last year

Last year, the Narooma students had the help of NASA engineers who travelled all the way from the USA and visited them at school to help them prepare their robot. Read more

Even without the NASA engineers, the students are quietly confident in the abilities of their robot.

Science teacher Gayle Allison said the FIRST program encouraged her to attend a workshop conference in Sydney in December so she could learn more skills to pass onto her students.

The Narooma robotics students got to test out this year’s robot earlier this month when they were invited to be part of Project Bucephalus at Ulladulla High School with the House of Ulladulla team, where they competed in practice matches.

“Everyone got to have a drive, which was quite good,” Mrs Allison said. “It was a fun day and quite hilarious at times.”

The First Robotics Competition is on at Homebush Stadium in Sydney from March 16-18. The robot has now been “bagged and tagged” and cannot to be interfered with until the first day of competition.

The RoboRebels last week held a naming ceremony and decided to name their robot “Bunsen” after the famous scientist Robert Bunsen. A cupcake fundraiser held on the naming day raised over $300 towards their trip to Sydney.

Mrs Allison said the theme of this year’s competition was the Age of Steam in the period of the 1800s and the actual competition this year was about programming the robot to pick up fuel cells and cogs, delivering them to a waiting airship.

At the moment the robotics program at Narooma High School is an extracurricular school activity that about 12 Year 9, 10 and 11 students do during their lunch hour and after school.

But Mrs Allison it is hoped robotics will be part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) elective next year, where students will get training in electronics, programming and coding.