|
Mountain Home, Arkansas |
|
Science & Technology Group |
|
High School Robotics |
|
Science and Technology Group (STG) supports a high school level robotics team comprised of students mostly from Mountain Home high school. The team accepts other high school students from schools in the greater Mountain Home area as well as home school students. This team was formed in 1996 and named the Baxter Bomb Squad after their sustaining industry partner Baxter Healthcare Corporation and the school’s mascot The Bombers. |
|
Junior High Robotics |
|
STG also supports a robotics team at Mountain Home Junior High School. Named the Junior Bomb Squad, this team was founded in 2006to address a perceived need by STG to target students in 8th & 9th grades that had participated in younger age robotics programs but were not old enough to participate on the high school team. Baxter Healthcare is also the primary sponsor of this team and has been mentored since inception by lead mentor Andy Marts who is a Baxter Healthcare engineer. The team wins it’s way to World Championships most years and was a 2009 World Championship Winning Alliance member. STG also produces the Arkansas State Championship for this robotics program in Mountain Home. The tournament draws 20 to 30 teams from Arkansas and surrounding states hoping to win their way to a Super-Regional and ultimately the World Championship Tournament. |
|
Robotics Programs Ages 9 to 14 |
|
Baxter Healthcare started producing one of the first state championship tournaments in 1999 for youth ages 9 to 14. When STG was founded in 2001, they assumed responsibility for the Arkansas State Championship Tournament and have produced a world class event every year since. |
|
The team has won many awards throughout their years of participation including The Chairman’s Award in 2000 and World Champion Robotics Competition Winner in 2012. The Baxter Bomb Squad also boasts a 2009 Woody Flowers award winning mentor John Novak. Also, students have been recognized for their outstanding performance in all aspects of participation on the team. The Baxter Bomb Squad constructs a new robot each year designed specifically to compete in a fast paced game challenge. The game is different each year and uses various game elements such as balls, pool float rings, tote tubs, and Frisbees. These robots are 28”Wx38”Lx60”H and weigh 130lbs. The robots can reach speeds of 20 feet per second. |
|
inspire all who attend. The tournament draws between 30 and 50 teams each year from Arkansas and neighboring states. The tournament is currently held on the campus of and in partnership with Arkansas State University Mountain Home in the Veda Sheid Community Development Center. |
|
With a darkened venue, light show, and exciting music, the stage is set to |
|
STG also provides grants to rookie teams and facilitates workshops and assists teams in getting organized. The program has expanded and now has qualifying tournaments held at three other locations around the state where teams compete for a chance to advance to the Arkansas State Championship. |
|
Scholarship Each year, STG presents one graduating high school senior from the Baxter Bomb Squad a scholarship of $1000.00. Recent recipients are: 2007 – Kayleigh Brown 2011 – Garret Mudgett 2015 – Courtney Crawford 2008 – Clayton Brinza 2012 – Austin Jones 2015 – John Taylor Novak 2009 – Ali Croom 2013 – Alex Harris 2010 – Harley White 2014 – Blair Brozynski
|
