GSMS Hosts 1st Ever Bots On The Beach

GSMS Hosts 1st Ever Bots On The Beach
On September 17, the Island Robotics Team at Gulf Shores Middle School hosted the first ever Bots on the Beach Robotics Competition with Jacksonville State and the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation. “This was the first VEX Robotics competition in Baldwin county, and it will become an annual competition in the years to come,’’ said Jeff Ostrowski, Gulf Shores Middle’s Island Robotics teacher. “There was nothing but positive feedback from the other schools and Jacksonville State University who ran and judged the event.” VEX IQ winners at Bots on the Beach were Thumbs of Fury and Mountain Brook (D) with first places, Mountain Brook (C) and Mountain Brook (P) in second places, and Gulf Shores Middle’s own Island Robotics and GMS Robotics with third places. VEX EDR winners were BrewTech Robotics in first place, Wildcats from White Plains High with second place, Trojaneers from Hazel Green High taking third place, and BrewTech Robotics (C) and (B) in fourth and fifth place respectively. Gulf Shores Middle’s Island Robotics team is now preparing for their BEST Robotics competition on Oct. 22 in Mobile.
VEX EDR challenges upper middle school and high school students to learn valuable problem solving skills through building robots and becoming immersed in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). VEX IQ draws in students in elementary school and lower middle school grades. Students complete an open-ended robotics and research project and compete in a variety of challenges.