The Kell High School Robotics Team and members earned three major awards at the FIRST® Peachtree Regional Robotics Comptition at the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth Georgia. The team earned the Peachtree Regional Chairman’s Award for their work in promoting and encouraging STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. The Chairman’s Award represents the spirit of FIRST. It honors the team that, in the judges’ estimation, best represents a model for other teams to emulate, and which embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST. It remains FIRST’s most prestigious award.

Carlie Schulter, a senior at Kell and the team’s executive director earned the “Dean’s List Award”. This award is named after Jack Kamen, father of Dean Kamen, and recognizes her commitment and leadership to advancing the mission and goals of FIRST.

Team mentor Ed Barker received the Woodie Flowers Award for his work in helping students and the communities understand of the challenges, opportunities, and satisfaction involved in the discipline of engineering and design. The award is named after Dr. Woodie Flowers, the Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Distinguished Partner at Olin College. Dr. Flowers serves as National Advisor and Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for FIRST.

The regional hosted 60 teams from 7 states. After 90 games of robotic basketball the Kell team’s robot was #1 seed. Unfortunately the team’s alliance did not advance past the quarterfinals and consequently did not win the robot competition.

The team now advances to the FIRST Robotics Championship in St. Louis Missouri.