MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
When bots battle, the mission is simple. Stack the cubes on top of the base.
But we learned that getting the robots to do their job, is sometimes easier said than done.
"Times, just ticking," said Quinsontro Welch,an eighth-grade student who is a robot driver.
While 60 seconds seems like an eternity, when the pressure's on - one minute isn't long enough.
"You have to get the most points," said Lanice Thomas, a seventh-grade student in the STEM class.
"If it's stuck, you have to ease your way out," said Welch.
Their challenge began months ago when they created a robot. Thomas said putting it together is very similar to playing with Legos.
Now, they are working hard. They spent the morning practicing. It will help the teams stay on pace for Saturday.
That's when these students at Power Center Academy Middle School Southeast will visit Brentwood, Tennessee, for the VEX Robotics competition. Bragging rights and a chance at the world championships are on the line.
In the classroom, students have desks and seats, but most are on their feet. They're learning a lot: technical skills, strategy, and teamwork.
"You don't sit down and just work. You can play with robots and design things," said Thomas.
"It's not that hard to do what you love," said Thomas. "It's not that hard to try new things."
If you know of a Local Cool School that we should visit, send us a message on our website at coolschool@localmemphis.com. You can also send us a message on the Local Memphis Twitter and Facebook pages: find us @localmemphis.