Sudbury plays host to FIRST robotics competition
It was quite the special weekend for high schoolers across the region who gathered in Sudbury for a special competition in robotics.
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School played host to the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Qualifier with students competing from across Sudbury, North Bay, Manitoulin Island, Bruce County and Toronto. Teams had to use their robots to complete different challenges, using pylons while amassing points.
"As soon as I started with creating robots, even the tiniest ones, I never looked back and it was so interesting to me," said Lo-Ellen student Julia Da Silva.
"I want to do engineering after high school because of robotics, because all of this has increased my interest in engineering. I always wanted to go into the medical field but after this my mind has changed and it's engineering."
"At our school, we do run a class but the hours they put in after school, it's almost like a full-time job in getting these robots to work,” said Dan Monti, teacher and tournament coordinator.
“It's amazing to see how passionate and driven the students are and it's great to work with such inspiring youth,"
Monti said the goal here is gracious professionalism – working as hard as they students can but achieving something together as the team.
He told CTV News FIRST robotics has been some of the greatest moments he's had as a teacher.
"One of the things that we do here at Lo-Ellen is we get girls interested in STEM at a young age and here we have 50 per cent of our team is female and in technical roles and that's something that we're really proud of,” said Monti.
“We actually have seven teams here and one of our teams is an all-female team of grade 10 students and they serve as mentors for our grade 7 and 8 students."
Judges interviewed teams and presented awards in various categories including compass connect, control, design, innovate, inspiring, motivate and think – each with distinct criteria.
Three teams were selected and from Sudbury and will head to the provincial championships in April 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6974328.1721750432!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
EXCLUSIVE Canadian company at the centre of alleged international pyramid scheme: authorities
Foreign governments say hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lost savings to a company headquartered in Canada. This investigation from the IJF and CTV News shines a new light on how Canadian shell companies and registries were used to pull off the scheme.
Pennsylvania state police commissioner reveals stunning details about Trump shooting
A local law enforcement commissioner revealed during a House Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday stunning new details about the security failures that led to the near assassination of Donald Trump, raising more questions for the embattled U.S. Secret Service.
BREAKING Host city revealed for 2034 Winter Olympic Games
Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympic Games on Wednesday following a vote of the International Olympic Committee.
Plane crashes just after takeoff from Nepal's capital, killing 18 people. Pilot is lone survivor
A plane crashed Wednesday just after taking off from Nepal’s capital, killing 18 people and injuring a pilot who was the lone survivor.
Laws that could get Canadians in trouble in tourism hotspots
There are some laws in popular tourist destinations around the world that could land Canadian travellers in mild-to-serious trouble if they're not careful. Don't let these local laws land you in hot water during your next vacation abroad.
Why Toronto is a special place for 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star Hugh Jackman
Toronto has a special place in Hugh Jackman's heart. During an exclusive interview with eTalk in front of dozens of fans gathered in the parking lot of 299 Queen Street West on Tuesday, the Australian actor shared that the city was where his Wolverine journey began.
Clip resurfaces of Vance criticizing Harris for being 'childless,' testing Trump's new running mate
Comments Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance made in 2021 questioning U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership because she did not have biological children have resurfaced, testing the young conservative senator in his early days campaigning as part of the Republicans' presidential ticket.
DEVELOPING Bank of Canada expected to deliver second consecutive rate cut today
The Bank of Canada is set to announce its interest rate decision this morning as economists widely expect a rate cut.
Issued a traffic ticket? The City of Toronto urges caution over third-party payment companies
Whether it's for parking, speeding or running a red light, no one likes being issued a traffic ticket, but it’s important to be careful how you pay them.