It was April 1 and the East Ridge High School robotics team was told that they had qualified to compete against some of the top robotics teams in the world.
But it was also April Fools Day and they thought there was no way that could be true.
“We joke with each other a lot, so we were wondering if that was an April Fool’s prank because it would not have been odd for it to have been,” East Ridge junior Audrey Bakst said.
The team was in shock once they realized it was true, Bakst said — and then the excitement began.
East Ridge High School’s robotics team, called ERRORs 3130, was invited to compete in FIRST Championship, what participants often refer to as the world competition in FIRST, which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.
The four-day youth robotics competition will be held April 16-19 in Houston. Students will compete against teams from around the world, including about two dozen from Minnesota, showing off the robots they’ve created as they complete action-packed challenges. Other east metro teams invited include NoMythic from St. Paul, Rogue Robotics from Farmington, Lightning Turtles from Mendota Heights, and KnightKrawler from New Brighton.
Creating a competition-worthy robot
ERRORs 3130 consists of 34 students in ninth through 12th grades. While the team is advised by adult mentors, often alumni and parents of current or former students, the team is primarily student-led.
“I think what’s so cool about our mentors is that they are there to help us when we need it, but they’re not going to tell us what to do,” Bakst said. “They teach us to fail in a safe environment and show us how to improve.”
At the start of each year, the team is given a build challenge by FIRST that explains the skills and characteristics their robot will need to compete. The team takes part in at least one preseason competition per year and at least two regular season competitions, with the goal of making it to the state tournament and FIRST Championship.
In January, ERRORs 3130 created an industrial-sized robot with the objective of being semi-autonomous, placing large PVC pipes onto multiple posts up to six feet tall, moving large playground balls into designated areas as quickly as possible and finally attaching itself to a cage. The team competed in a regional competition April 3-5, placed third at the event and set a high score during one match.
Outreach and impact
Aside from building robots, a large focus of ERRORs 3130 is community outreach, which they call ‘impact.’ The team partners with elementary and middle school youth, teaching them the mechanics of building robots and inspiring them to become interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through FIRST Lego League.
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The students also attend community events like Woodbury Days and Movies with Mo with other robotics teams, including Woodbury High School, Math and Science Academy and Park High School, to promote robotics. ERRORs 3130 also hosts a week-long summer camp for youth.
“We want to make sure that kids know what their options are for high school and beyond,” Bakst said.
Teams recognized for their community outreach efforts are also eligible for the FIRST Impact Award, which honors a team ‘that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders,’ according to FIRST. ERRORs 3130 won the award in 2023.
“FIRST values the community outreach aspect of it just as much as they value the robot,” Bakst said. “If you win the impact award, that’s like the most prestigious award at each regional, and that also qualifies you for worlds.”
Preparing them for the future
Robotics has taught the students technical skills related to engineering, as well as social and communication skills, teamwork, business and entrepreneurship, the team said.
Senior Emily Fox said that through competitions, she’s had the opportunity to network with companies like Disney, NASA, Boeing and John Deere. Once she graduates high school, Fox will attend Purdue University and major in mechanical engineering. Her dream is to work for Disney as an imagineer, she said.
“Robotics has really set me on what I want to do,” Fox said.
Team mentor Brian Howard’s daughter joined the East Ridge robotics program in 2018 and he has been a mentor for the team ever since. What he loves about the team is that it’s run like a student-led small business, he said. As a mentor, Howard said he’s there to oversee the students’ work, encourage them to learn through failure and celebrate success.
“The program itself is incredible,” Howard said. “I’ve not seen anything quite like it, and it actually changed the course of my daughter’s career. She’s currently a junior at Cal Poly, a mechanical engineering program in California, because of what she experienced here.”
Howard, who’s retiring from his role as a mentor this year, said he’s seen the students grow, adapting to new challenges and problem-solving faster than in the years prior. He said he enjoys seeing the growth in some students who come in not knowing how to use a screwdriver and leave with the skills to build a fully functioning robot.
Raising money for worlds
The cost to attend the world competition is $1,200 per student and 26 students are planning to attend, according to team mentor Melissa Cole. The students were asked to provide a $700 deposit to cover bus and registration costs.
“Ideally, we earn enough money that we do not have to ask for any more money from the families,” Cole said.
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The team is fundraising to help cover the cost of the trip. Those interested in donating can use Venmo @frcERRORs3130 or mail a check to East Ridge Robotics Foundation, Box 25641, Woodbury, MN 55125. Find more information about the team at frcerror3130.org.
For information on supporting other east metro teams, visit 2491NoMythic.com (NoMythic), team2987.com (Rogue Robots), team3100.com (Lightning Turtles) or team2052.com (KnightKrawler).
ERRORs senior Albert Wright said he wants all of the robotics teams in the state to be able to attend the competition but knows how challenging covering the cost of attendance is.
“Going to worlds is more than just a fun experience; it’s a transformative one,” Wright said. “Going to worlds my second year on the team opened my eyes to the true limitless nature of robotics and helped solidify what I feel my purpose in life is.”
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