Crestline Robotics program soars into 2020

The Crestline Elementary robotics program, led by teachers Amy Anderson and Scott McKerley, has had a busy and successful year preparing for the 2019-20 VEX IQ Robotics season. Crestline has a total of 30 robotics engineers, in fourth to sixth grades, who meet twice a week after school to work in teams of three.

The teams have traveled to competitions locally and in Gulf Shores, Auburn and Gardendale since October. Two teams have qualified for the state tournament in February: Henry Carr Chapman, Hayden Graham and Charles Lichty, along with Callie Chapman, Mary Alice Graham and Bryson Dobbins.

The robotics program also received a major boost recently thanks to a project spearheaded by parent Amy Carle and Hoar Construction.

"We were in desperate need of a way to make our robotics fields more portable so that they could be moved easily for practice," Anderson said. "We had some amazing volunteers that were able to turn our dream of a flip-up field into a reality. Our teams have more time and space to practice now, and they are making so much progress."

Submitted by Jessica Thuston.