MEDIA ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY, FEB. 4
February 3, 2016
CONTACT: Phil Sneiderman
Office: 443-997-9907; Cell: 410-299-7462
prs@jhu.edu On Twitter: @JHUmediareps
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4. NOTE: Best times to view the robots in action are between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., or between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Awards will be given out between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
WHERE: In the Newton White Athletic Center on The Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md.
WHO: More than 200 middle and high school students from Baltimore City Public Schools will compete in the Hopkins Robotics Cup, the Baltimore City VEX and VEX IQ Robotics League championship event. This engineering challenge, which changes every year, is presented in the form of a game. With guidance from their teachers and mentors, students build innovative robots designed to score the most points possible in qualification matches, elimination matches and skills challenges. The VEX Robotics Competition game for the 2016-2017 season is called VEX Starstruck. This event is played on a 12-foot-square field on which two alliances, each composed of two teams, compete in matches involving driver-controlled play. The VEX IQ Robotics Competition game for the 2016-2017 season is called VEX IQ Crossover. This is played on a 4-foot by 8-foot field on which two teams with driver-controlled robots must cooperate to score as many points as possible during a 60-second match.
Generally, students will compete in teams made up of two to four young people. (A complete list of participating Baltimore schools is posted below.) Johns Hopkins staff, faculty and student volunteers, along with City Schools employees and community members, will work together at the event in roles such as referee, judge and scorekeeper.
WHAT: This year, 52 teams representing 28 schools competed in three ranking sessions over the winter. On Saturday, these teams will compete for a final time at the Hopkins Robotics Cup to crown a League Champion for each division and to determine which teams will earn a spot at the Maryland State Championship. To determine winners, each robot on Saturday will participate in qualification and then elimination matches staged within the four competition fields set up within the Goldfarb Gym.
WHY: The event is being hosted by the Center for Educational Outreach at Johns Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools. The center’s mission is to increase the number of youth who pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers, particularly women and underrepresented minorities.
SUPERVISOR FOR THE EVENT: The tournament director is Margaret Hart. Her weekday office phone is (410) 516-4180. To reach her on the day of the event, her cell phone number is (617) 642-0023.
Competition rules can be viewed here:
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexedr/competition/competition-resources with a video here: https://youtu.be/0t2zstQ84Tw
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexiq/competition/competition-resources with a video here: https://youtu.be/0iIv1WOSJSs
Participating Baltimore City Schools (Some schools will send more than one team):
VEX IQ Schools:
Baltimore International Academy
Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy
Glenmount Elementary/ Middle
Highlandtown #237 Elementary/Middle School
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School
Lyndhurst Elementary Community School
Maree G. Farring Elementary/Middle
Monarch Academy
Mount Royal Elementary Middle School
New Song Academy
Rosemont Elementary/Middle School
Vanguard Collegiate Middle School
William Paca Elementary School
Woodhome Elementary Middle School
VEX Schools:
Baltimore IT Academy
Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy West
Baltimore Design School
Baltimore International Academy
Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
Calverton Elementary/Middle School
Frederick Douglass High School
Cherry Hill Elementary Middle School
Mount Royal Elementary Middle School
Digital Harbor High School
Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School
Reginald F. Lewis High School
REACH! Partnership School #341
Cross Country Elementary Middle School
Maree G. Farring Elementary/Middle
Patterson Park Public Charter School
Patterson High School
New Song Academy
City Neighbors High School
Vanguard Collegiate Middle School #374
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