Lakerbots robotics team heads into spring competition

MEREDITH — Gaining momentum for the past five years, The Inter-Lakes Middle High School FIRST Robotics Team Lakerbots is gearing up for the spring competitions. 

FIRST and the Lakerbots inspire students to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and math with firsthand modern engineering experiences. 

The Lakerbots began with a vision from the school district and with support from the Inter-Lakes School Board and greater community, STEAM Teacher and team mentor Joe Derrick has grown the initiative into a successful team of 21 students including students from Gilford High School and Moultonborough Academy, six adult mentors, a Robotics Booster Club and a program at Inter-Lakes Elementary School. 

After a busy fall of local events, the team and robot Webster are currently fully engulfed in the spring competition building season with multiple FIRST events that could potentially lead to the international event in Texas.

Every year a new game is devised and the team has six weeks to build a robot for the spring competitions.

The Lakerbots just completed their first competition of the season in Springfield, Massachusetts and qualified to be on the third seed alliance for the playoffs. In addition to success on the field, the team won the Industrial Design Engineering Award for the design and fabrication for the game-ending climbing ability of the robot. This was the first engineering award won in the team’s history.

“I am incredibly proud of the Lakerbots for their outreach, community engagement, and the opportunities they create for student leadership. Beyond technical skills and problem-solving, our team fosters teamwork and ensures that everyone we interact with is treated with respect. From mentoring younger students to championing sustainability and expanding access to STEM, the Lakerbots are proving that even a small team can make a big impact in the Lakes Region,” said Derrick.

For more information, visit interlakes.org.