SciBorgs Open House Night

PULLMAN - The Palouse Area Robotics Team (PART) is hosting an open house night on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Lincoln Middle School, 315 Southeast Crestview Street, Pullman.

Mentor Helena Johnson said that PART Sciborgs is a 4-H science club looking for adult volunteers and students ages 14-18. PART draws students from Colfax, Pullman, Moscow and all the surrounding area.

Johnson said that the night is an informational recruitment night and will include information for parents. "We're excited about starting our new season here," Johnson said.

By participating in the program, students will learn how to design, build, wire and program a 125-pound robot.

Johnson said the 2024 season, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), and the name of the crescendo game season, will kick off in January.

PART is recruiting for the first time for the upcoming season, and the participants will start with safety training, including shop tools.

"We also have a mini-build season where we help with the Haunted Palouse in the city of Palouse," Johnson said.

Johnson said students will learn about time management and be exposed to tools and building things.

The program allows eighth graders through high school students put into practice what students learn in school in a practical, hands-on way and compete.

Johnson said they do prototyping with wood and metal and then make the final robot with aluminum, polycarbonate and 3D-printed parts.

"Then they get to learn how to wire it," she said, adding that there are five teams, including electrical, programming, building, controlling and programmers.

Johnson said she is a business mentor, noting that there is also a business sub-team. "They learn all about running a business," she added.

Johnson said the games begin the first Saturday of January, revealing the game to over 3,000 teams worldwide.

"It's a unique experience. You really get to connect with teams who did what you did, and it's a big family," she said, noting that the world championships happen in April in Houston, and hopefully they'll be able to make it this year.

Local competitions will be in early to mid-March, starting the Sun Dome in Yakima. Johnson said they have yet to decide on a location for the first competition, possibly Portland, Oregon.

"If we do well, we get to go district championships and the Houston," she said.