Jamaica College Eyes Super Regional Robotics Title

Since September 2015, Jamaica College Robotics Team - Blue Bots has been working assiduously to create a star robot for entry to the 2015-2016 series of Robotics Competitions.

Having won at the national and regional levels, the team is preparing for the super regionals to be held in New York this month. The Jamaica Broilers Group has committed $250,000.00 to assist the tean on its journey to success.

Jamaica College (JC) started with two teams, both of which performed well at the national level, ending head to head in the semi-finals taking home first and third place prizes.

The winning team also nabbed The Think Award for innovative approaches in their design process.

At the regional level, the Blue Bots placed eighth among 44 entrants, also winning The Inspire Award, given to the team which most embodies the spirit of the competition, including values such as gracious professionalism, good team spirit and overall approach to the task before them. This award guaranteed their entry to the Super Regionals held March 17-19.

SHOWCASE ROBOT

To raise funds for the next level of competition, upper-sixth former, Romar Peart, the team's marketing officer, contacted Jamaica Broilers Group with a proposal for sponsorship.

On Wednesday, March 9, team members visited the group's head office in St Catherine to showcase their robot and discuss what the journey has meant to them, so far.

Gavin Smith, who is both captain of the robotics team and JC's school captain, told Dr Claudette Cooke, JBG vice president, human resource department and public relations, about the challenge of balancing his various roles while maintaining good grades.

The gentlemen made a detailed presentation of their now further refined, Super Robot, and offered to have Dr Cooke give it a test drive.

There were smiles and laughter as Shumba Brown, the team's chief programmer, smiled charmingly while requesting the JBG vice-president's licence and registration before handing over the robot's controls.

Dr Cooke told the group, "It's not often that we sit among a group of young people like you, who, from the get-go, seem so impressive, and hearing you speak solidifies that.

At the Jamaica Broilers Group, education is very close to our hearts, and we hear so much about how well girls are getting on, I believe that there is a lot happening with our young men in this country that goes unnoticed.

"I am very excited when I look at the youth here; the freshness, the stage in life that you are at and the promise for the future."