Jason Harper, Manager of Valley Relations and Ben LeRoy, Lineman in operations, of the Tennessee Valley Authority recently visited Northeast Alabama Community College to present a check in support of the Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics program, which is hosted by the college.
BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology, and was originated in 1993 by two Texas Instruments engineers. There are more than fifty hubs located across the United States, operating in four regions.
Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics was established by the college in 2012 to offer opportunities for students in grades 5–12 to become competent and confident in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) principles. Last year, more than 350 students from 10 schools participated.
“TVA is pleased to be involved in this important initiative to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiatives in this region,” stated Jason Harper, of TVA.
The BEST competition runs for six weeks in the fall, and includes three events. On September 20, a kick off day will be held at Northeast Alabama Community College where the students will learn about their challenge, receive the materials they may use with which to build their robot, and attend training sessions intended to prepare them for the challenge. On October 28, teams will gather at the Jackson County Fairgrounds for practice day. This event, co-located with the Career Exploration and Opportunities (CEO) Expo, provides teams with an opportunity to test out their robot on the actual playing field. And on November 1, teams will put their designs to the test by competing against other teams and the clock to perform specific tasks.
Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics serves DeKalb, Jackson and Marshall Counties. The teams already registered for this year’s competition include: DeKalb County Technology Center, Fyffe High School, Boaz Middle School, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Pisgah High School, and Brindlee Mountain Middle School. A number of other schools are expected to register before the September 6 deadline.
The competition encompasses more than robot performance. Teams are judged on oral presentation, educational display, spirit, sportsmanship, interview skills, engineering notebook, and robot performance. The top teams will advance to the regional competition in Auburn.
Northeast Alabama Community College serves as the lead agency for the hub, but it takes a community-wide effort to put on a competition of this magnitude. Other partner agencies include DeKalb County Economic Development Authority, Jackson County Economic Development Authority, Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Impact Learning Center, Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama, and Alabama Technology Network.
Since all required materials and supplies are provided to participating schools by Northeast Alabama BEST, sponsorships from business, industry and organizations in the community are vastly important. Sponsors for this year include: ABC–North Alabama, Builders Supply Company, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Heil Environmental, Source 4 Manufacturing, Rainsville Chamber of Commerce, Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Fort Payne Improvement Authority, Urethane Supply Company, and Berry & Dunn Office Equipment. TVA has been a major sponsor of the initiative since its inception in 2012.
For more information about BEST Robotics, contact Nicole Carroll at extension 2254 or carrolln@nacc.edu. Additional information may also be found at the Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics website, located at www.northeastalabamabest.org. For information about Northeast, see the college’s web page at www.nacc.edu or download the college’s free App at the Apple App Store or by going to www.naccmobile.com.
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| NACC President Dr. David Campbell accepts the
TVA contribution presented by Ben LeRoy, with Dr. Mike Kennamer, NACC Director of Workforce Development and Skills Training. |
