Mitchell kicked off its first-ever robotics team in style in 2021 when a group of boys and girls from Burris Elementary School took up the challenge to design, create and code a robot that they then took to competitions. Expectations our first year weren't very high. Simply put, Mitchell had never had a robotics team before, and our goal was to build the robot, code the robot and compete in a couple of local tournaments in a simple effort to introduce our young people to this new endeavor. And, guess what? We didn't give our young people the credit they deserved because those third-
through fifth-graders took the first-ever Bluejacket Robotics team to the State Robotics Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where they competed against larger schools with more experienced teams and got their first glimpse at where robotics can take them!
Their success led the Bluejacket Robotics program to create two additional teams this year. We now have two teams at Burris Elementary and a new team at Mitchell Junior High School. We are also introducing the program to the littles at Hatfield Elementary School to prepare them for the future.
The future is a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and all of this is accomplished through Robotics. Bluejacket Robotics got its start through grant funding from the TechPoint Foundation for Youth. However, our experience at state showed us that it will take more tools and additional resources to expand our program. We had the basics for a single team last year, but for our young people to continue to compete, learn and build more than a basic robot, they'll have to expand their arsenal. We would like to purchase a VEX Robotics practice field that we can take to competitions and use to promote robotics in our community. The practice field changes from year to year, and therefore, the capabilities of the robot need to change to compete in the course. To accomplish all of this, we've started a Bluejacket Robotics Booster Club to support the work our Mitchell youth are doing in the field of robotics. We want to give them the tools they need to succeed, but the wonderful thing about robotics is that success looks like teamwork in robotics. It looks like a group of Mitchell children who are using STEM principles to build an amazing future. We hope to help them do that with your support. We thank you in advance for supporting our young people.

The Mitchell Bluejackets Robotics Booster Club is a 501(c)(3) organization made up of parents and volunteers who enthusiastically support all aspects of Mitchell Robotics through the organization and coordination of fundraising efforts, volunteer opportunities, and financial and operational logistics. Bluejacket Robotics focuses on student lead innovation, problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance. We believe robotics provides opportunities for students to gain valuable life skills and acquire a growth mindset.

We build more than bots, we build life champions.