Alberta Students Showcase Innovation in Robotics Competition

A high-tech arena emerged at Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain, Alberta, on March 16, 2024, as students showcased their engineering skills during the Northern Alberta FIRST Tech Challenge. This event, part of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program, featured dozens of custom-built robots created by students ranging from Grade 7 to Grade 12.

The competition, described as a “varsity sport for the mind,” allowed participants to demonstrate the results of months of design, coding, and building. According to a media release from the school, the enthusiasm for such programs is growing significantly across the province.

Jennifer Gemmel, who coaches two community robotics teams at Telus World of Science, emphasized the importance of robotics in education. She noted that the number of robotics teams in Alberta has increased from one division to at least six provincewide. “On the surface level, of course, there’s the science, the technology, but there’s also that teammanship,” she stated, highlighting the skills students develop through such initiatives. Gemmel expressed optimism for the future, particularly as artificial intelligence industries continue to expand.

The event saw participation from around 300 students. Among them was Sarah Kelland, a Grade 11 student who shared her passion for robotics. “I want to go into computer engineering and environmental sciences… I want to make AI more environmentally friendly,” she explained. Her teammate, Larissa Jamieson, a Grade 10 student, expressed her interest in applying robotics to mechatronics, noting the potential for creating prosthetics. “Some people use this to make prosthetics for other people, which I think is really cool,” she said.

The Alberta Minister for Innovation and Technology, Nate Glubish, attended the event to officially kick off the competition. His presence underscored the government’s commitment to fostering technological innovation among youth in the province.

The Northern Alberta FIRST Tech Challenge not only highlights the growing interest in technology among students but also serves as a platform for them to explore career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As programs like this continue to inspire the next generation, Alberta’s future in tech innovation looks promising.