BEST Robotics fuels students’ imaginations

Pensacola, Fla. -- The Emerald Coast BEST Robotics Hub, the only BEST Hub in the state, is set for Oct. 17 at the University of West Florida Field House. The theme, “High Octane,” speaks to the high-energy competition where middle and high school teams control their robots while being cheered on by their school — it also describes the hypothetic fuel they will create by gathering game pieces.

It’s all a part of an initiative to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition each fall. Student teams are judged on robot performance, oral presentation, table display, project notebook, spirit and sportsmanship.

Introduced by two MIT students, BEST — Boosting Engineering Science and Technology — has grown into a nationally recognized competition challenging more than 50,000 participants since its start in 1993.

Area schools have been competing since 2004, when Gulf Power sponsored eight local teams in the regional competition in Mobile. Twenty-one schools across Northwest Florida will participate in the regionals, with the top schools advancing to competition at Auburn University.

Competition

Saturday, October 17, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., UWF Field House.

Teams

Bay County

Merritt Brown Middle School (271)

School Web site: http://www.bayschools.com/schools/bms/
Lead Teacher: Wendi Henderson hendewl@bay.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Terrye Moon
Mentor: Jay More

Mowat Middle School (272)

School Web site: http://www.bayschools.com/schools/mms/Home/tabid/1622/Default.aspx
Lead Teacher: Nancy Browne brownng@bay.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Shawn Ramsey
Mentor: John Duval

Deane Bozeman K-12 School (273)

School Web site: http://www.bayschools.com/blc/history.htm
Lead Teacher: Lois Walsh walshlg@bay.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Debra West
Mentors: Keavy Quigley

Escambia County

Bailey Middle School (274)

School Web site: www.escambia.k12.fl.us/schscnts/baie/
Lead Teacher: Sherry Comstock scomstock@escambia.k12.fl.us

Bellview Middle School (275)

School Web site: http://www.bellviewmiddle.com/
Lead Teacher: Bill Blankenship wblankenship@escambia.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: David Ewing
Mentor: Buchanan

Escambia High School (277)

School Web site: www.escambia.k12.fl.us/schscnts/esch/
Lead Teacher: Robert Rainey rrainey@escambia.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Tom Deloge

Pensacola High School (278)

School Web site: http://www.pensacolahighschool.org/
Lead Teacher: Joel Cotton jcotton@escambia.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Cherie Christo

West Florida High School (280)

School Web site: http://www.wfhs.net/
Lead Teacher: Albert MacNaughton amacnaughton@escambia.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Dan Ruley

Woodham Middle School (281)

School Web site: http://www.woodhammiddle.com/
Lead Teacher: Shelton Mobley smobley@escambia.k12.fl.us
Support Teachers: James Bishir, R. Lee, Stephanie Elliott

Holmes County

Bethlehem K-12 School (282)

School Web site: http://bhs.hdsb.org/
Lead Teacher: David Williams williamsd2@hdsb.org

Jackson County

Cottondale High School (283)

School Web site: http://cottondalehighschool.org/find-alumni.html
Lead Teacher: Angela Ostrander angela.ostrander@jcsb.org
Support Teachers: Billy Cox, Amanda Clark
Mentors: Todd Thurlow, Mike Singleton, Mr. Whitehead

Okaloosa County

Pryor Middle School (285)

School Web site: http://www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/pryor/
Lead Teacher: Elizabeth Clary clarye@mail.okaloosa.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Jon Williams

Ruckel Middle School (286)

School Web site: http://www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/ruckel/
Lead Teacher: Alan Anderson AndersonA@mail.okaloosa.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Chris Brown

Santa Rosa County

Avalon Middle School (279)

School Web site: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/ams/
Lead Teacher: Frank Beckwith beckwithf@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us

Gulf Breeze Middle School (287)

School Web site: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/schools/gbm.html
Lead Teacher: Casey Fearon fearonc@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us
Support Teachers: Deborah Cathey, Robert Smith, Sharon Schaeffner

Hobbs Middle School (288)

School Web site: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/hms/
Lead Teacher: Patricia J. Simich simichp@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us
Support Teachers: Robbie Ates, Jennifer Bradley, Kristy Sirmons, Jennifer Shackle, Venetta Schang

Milton High School (291)

School Website: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/mhs/
Lead Teacher: Arthur Schang: schanga@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us
Support Teacher: Sam Ezell
Mentor: Vaughn Nichols

Pace High School (292)

School Web site: http://pacehighschool.net/
Lead Teacher: Mike McFee: mcfeem@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us
Mentor: Robert Fortenberry

Sims Middle School (293)

School Web site: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/sms/
Lead Teacher: Kenneth Atkinson atkinsonk@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us

Woodlawn Beach Middle School (294)

School Web site: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/wbm/
Lead Teacher: Shannon Farrell
Mentor: R. Vaughn Nichols (Gulf Power Company)

Walton County

Seaside Neighborhood Middle School (295)

School Web site: http://www.seasideschool.net/
Lead Teacher: Elaine Parrett parrette@seasideschool.net
Support Teachers: Sharon Martin, , Kim Mixson
Mentors: Dan Brubaker, Gid Godwin, Ben Spence

For more information, visit the website at: http://uwf.edu/ece/EmeraldCoastBEST/

Gulf Power is committed to help put science and math on a fun level with students while teaching the skills needed to join the workforce. Another educational program, I LOVE SCIENCE, provides a one-hour, hands-on science project each month in fifth grade classrooms. To find out more about Gulf Power’s education initiatives, please visit www.gulfpower.com/ecodev/wf_development.asp.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 400,000 customers in 10 counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy to very satisfied customers in strong communities.