Automaker's foundation powers up UCS Robotics Program

Five Utica Community Schools Robotics teams are sharing $12,500 worth of grant funding to help support their entries into an international competition.

Crevolution, a FIRST team comprised of students from UCS high schools, received a $5,000 grant from the Chrysler Foundation.

In addition, Crevolution and four junior high school robotics teams were each awarded $1,500 Robotics Grants from the State of Michigan for their participation in the FIRST competition, which requires teams to build and program robots using competition guidelines.

“UCS continues to be a hothead for robotics and preparing our students for the high tech jobs of the future,” Superintendent Christine Johns said. “These investments further our efforts to support our efforts to prepare students to become globally competitive graduates.”

The Chrysler Foundation grant for Crevolution was awarded through the UCS Foundation of Educational Excellence, a nonprofit group of community business leaders that raise funds to support UCS student scholarships, activities and programs.

Now in its sixth year, Crevolution has won top district tournament honors and earned entry into the world tournament the past two years, and was ranked 14th in the state last year.

In addition to the Chrysler donation, Crevolution shared a State of Michigan grant with four junior high school teams: the Robo-Spartans, of Bemis Junior High School; Evil Crouton, of Malow and Heritage Junior High schools; and High Voltage and Raging Robots, of Shelby Junior High School.

FIRST is a robotics organization organized to develop science and technology leaders. The competition pairs students with business mentors to create and program a working robot that competes in a sports-type competition.

The program develops science, engineering and technology skills and inspires innovation, self-confidence, communication, and leadership.