Nov 5 2014
Recently high school robotics teams from Los Angeles' El Camino Real Charter High School and Hesperia's Sultana High School recently defeated 22 other Southern California robotics teams at the inaugural VEX/Project Lead the Way Inland Empire Challenge.
Victor Curiel from Sultana High School watches as his teammate directs the team's robot during the final match at the recent VEX/Project Lead the Way Inland Empire Robotics Challenge presented by Verizon FIOS. The team from Hesperia claimed the Excellence Award, advancing to state competition, where they will compete to represent the state of California at the World Robotics Championships. View photo albums and highlights video here: www.FiOSSoCal.com
A second team from Sultana High School received the Excellence Award after placing highest in the preliminary round. As a result, all three squads earned guaranteed spots in the Southern California VRC High School State Championship this February, where they will compete to represent the state of California at the World Robotics Championships in Louisville, KY. Verizon FiOS in Southern California underwrote the Oct. 25 robotics tournament, hosted at Martin Luther King High in Riverside.
Fueled by a love for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 24 of Southern California's most dynamic middle school and high school student robotics teams competed in the inaugural tournament.
"Some of Southern California's brightest students competed in this tournament, and the intense competition revealed that. Without the backing of Verizon FiOS SoCal this regional tournament wouldn't have happened, and Southern California's representation in the State tournament couldn't have been guaranteed," said Mike Martin, Tournament Coordinator and Martin Luther King High School robotics team coach and engineering teacher.
FiOS Fuels VEX/PLTW Inland Empire Robotics Challenge
The Southern California division of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) introduced Martin to Verizon FiOS SoCal in order for Martin to secure the funding needed to hold a VEX/PLTW robotics tournament. Project Lead the Way is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates STEM initiatives in public schools.
"Verizon FiOS SoCal is inspired by these robotics students. They thrive on technology and are truly tomorrow's innovators. We were honored to underwrite the cost of the competition, and are proud that we helped ensure Southern Californian's place in the state championship," said Senior Marketing Events Manager for Verizon FiOS SoCal, Collette Combre. Combre, who was on hand to volunteer at the tournament, also formally presented Martin Luther King High with a $5,000 donation from Verizon FiOS SoCal to underwrite the regional tournament.