Coast middle schoolers earn ticket to New Jersey for national robotics competition
Two robotics teams from D’Iberville Middle School earned their way to the American Robotics Open Championship in June following a dominant run at the Mississippi state championship.
The D’Iberville Diamonds and D’Ville Dinos, two teams of eighth-graders, will travel to New Jersey and are the only teams representing South Mississippi.
“It feels very exciting and knowing that we are representing Mississippi gives us a lot of motivation to make sure we are representing Mississippi in a good way,” said Iyla Lurix, a member of the Dinos.
Teams in the American Robotics Open Championship will be scored based on how many tasks their robots, built from LEGOs, can complete in two and a half minutes. Teams will also be judged on their teamwork, and a presentation showcasing ways robotics can be used to solve current issues. The Diamonds are presenting ways tracking chips can be used to prevent theft, and the Dinos are showcasing how drone surveillance can be used to prevent vandalism in archaeology.
During the Dinos’ and Diamonds’ state championship run in the Mississippi First LEGO League in February, both teams won second place for the Core Values Award and Champion’s Award, and first place for Robot Performance. Angel Klobe, the teacher leading the D’Iberville robotics program, was also recognized at the competition and was named Best Coach/Mentor in her second year leading the program.
“It feels like I have another parent at the school,” Lurix said. “She shows a lot of concern for our lives, not just in school or robotics, but in our personal lives as well.”
Klobe’s approach to teaching stems from not only wanting her students to win, but also “developing the whole child,” she said. “These children are going to leave, and I want them to become productive members of society, and if they take away one piece from something I’ve taught them, and that helps them become successful, our mission is accomplished,” Klobe said.
For Lyla Bergman, a member of the Diamonds, Klobe’s guidance has made robotics more accessible to students by breaking down the stereotypes associated with STEM-related fields. “When I joined, I thought the exact stereotype of it being nerdy and all coding, but everyone here has their own past. Some are popular, some not popular, some nerdy, some not,” Bergman said.
The inclusivity and diversity of the program has always been an important factor for Klobe, because robotics is “stereotyped into a specific type of child and I don’t want that stigma to be there,” she said. “I want them to know you can do anything and be anybody.”
Klobe also emphasized how the robotics program provides opportunities for students to learn more than just robotics as they go out to fundraise to support the future of the program. “They’re having to cold market and sell themselves, so on top of just the robotics and the presenting, they’re having to learn how to fundraise and get money, and that’s a whole other level of talking to people,” Klobe said.
Getting the robotics program to this point for Klobe has been a “proud mama moment” to see her students succeed at the state level and now be invited to compete nationally and represent Mississippi. “I’m proud because I’m pushing these kids, and I’m trying to recruit kids that are from all walks of life. I have athletes, I have band kids, I have everything you could think of in here, and I want them all to feel like they are successful,” Klobe said.
The D’Iberville robotics teams will be recognized at the D’Iberville City Council meeting on April 21 before they leave for the American Robotics Open Championship, which will take place June 7-8.
