Alva Review-Courier -

Bank It: a Habit of Helping Foundation met on Nov. 7 for their regularly scheduled board meeting. April Ridgway, coach of the Alva robotics team, Techni-Gold, was in attendance to apply for mini-grant funding from the Bank It Growth Fund. Ridgway discussed the organization, explaining that the team is comprised of Alva middle school and high school students interested in engineering and creating mechanical devices. This is a community-based youth organization promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. They were founded in 2016, and attended the Heartland BEST Robotics competition sponsored by Northwestern Oklahoma State University. They competed again this year, and placed fifth in the BEST competition and seventh in the semifinals. This advanced their team to the two-day regional competition to be held in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Dec. 1–2.

Alva robotics is solely funded by contributions from the community. This is in perfect alignment with Bank It's role in providing assistance to local organizations in need. The team has actively raised funds by soliciting from businesses, holding bake sales and talking to local organizations. This is an after-school extra-curricular program for local students that is completely separate from Alva Public Schools and doesn't receive any school funding. However, these students have proudly represented the best of Alva at the Heartland BEST competition and will do so again when they travel to regionals.

Ridgway stated, "I just couldn't be more proud of these kids and the hard work they have put into creating this robot. They are motivated and excited to be thinking outside of the box to create working mechanisms that make the robot complete the tasks assigned."

She explained that the kids are given a box full of supplies and motors and basically told "ready, set, go." Each year the competition has a different set of tasks that must be accomplished to earn points for the team. She said that the Heartland BEST competition last year really opened their eyes to the difficulties and challenges that come with creating a robot from scratch.

This year the theme is Fire and Rescue, and the challenges the robot must complete start with picking up a manikin (made of PVC pipe and rope) and returning it to the safety zone. Next the robot must pick up three waste hazard cans (three one-quart paint cans) and return to the safety zone. Finally the robot must put out the fire (solo cups stacked at various levels in a building). To do this, the robot must have a mechanism to scoop up the manikin, a device to grasp the paint cans, and a launching mechanism to shoot ping pong balls at the cups (to put out the fire).

Last year's theme was different but just as difficult, and the team didn't make it past the preliminary rounds. This year the kids had new ideas that have paid off and helped them succeed. The team has solicited help from parent volunteers and Steve Maier from Northwestern. The catch is that those helpers must only guide on the side and not come up with ideas.

This is the goal of STEM education. The kids really are the ones making decisions about what works and what doesn't. It is all about trial and error.

Additionally, each team must create a presentation booth to be judged, outlining their process for creating the robot, mistakes and changes made, and the team must participate in an interview process about the robot.

Bank It is extremely proud to grant this organization $2,500 to go towards transportation and lodging for the 17 team members and their chaperones.