BEST Robotics Inc. Renews License Agreement

BEST Robotics, Inc. recently renewed the license agreement with Northeast Alabama Community College to offer Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics. This agreement allows NACC to use the BEST logo and game for 2015.

Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics is excited to officially be part of BEST Robotics, Inc. for 2015!

#paydirt2015 Sponsors Keep the Hub Running

Recently someone asked why Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics needs sponsors to operate. As we ticked through the list of items we have to purchase using donated funds, it occurred to us that others might not know what the hub does in the background to keep the competition going.

This is a list of some of the purchases made in 2014 to provide the BEST Robotics competition for our area:

• Facility - We spent $2,250 to rent the facility for game day
• Hub License Fee - The annual hub license fee to be part of BEST Robotics is $2,000
• Kits - We spend more than $9,600 to purchase kits (returnable and consumable) in 2014. 
• Food - More than $1,400 was spent for food, which included feeding all participants for kick off day, and providing meals for volunteers on game day and other BEST events. 
• T-Shirts and Name Badges - More than $3,500 was spent on Tshirts, staff shirts, and name badges. Most hubs do not give Tshirts to every participant. However, due to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to give every participant a Tshirt. 
• Awards - Trophies and plaques cost more than $500 in 2014. 
• Playing Field - The playing field materials cost approximately $1,500 for 2014. 

We receive a great deal of support from NACC and funds from a state workforce grant. However, the rest of the funds (about $10,000 per year) come from donations and sponsorships from local industry. A typical sponsorship for us is $500 so we depend on many sponsors to assure that we can keep this opportunity available in our area.

Interested in sponsoring BEST? Check out our Sponsor page here. 

Fort Payne BEST Students at Chamber Banquet

Members of the Fort Payne High School Robotics Team demonstrated their robot and spoke to guests at the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce Banquet, held January 29.

"Executive Director of the Chamber, Carol Beddingfield, contacted me to ask if we would come talk about BEST and perhaps have a team demonstrate their robot," said Dr. Mike Kennamer, Northeast Alabama BEST hub co-director. "We are always happy to talk about BEST, so we accepted the invitation."

Kennamer contacted Dan Grogham, of Fort Payne High School, and asked if he could bring a robot to demonstrate. Groghan immediately agreed.

With more than 150 business leaders in the audience, Kennamer told the group about BEST and then called upon hub co-director, Nicole Carroll, to explain the BEST game concept. Mr. Groghan and each of his students spoke to the group sharing what BEST means to them and what they have learned from BEST. The presentation concluded with the viewing of the Northeast Alabama BEST Sponsorship video.

"This is a great opportunity to share the word about BEST," said Kennamer.