MARS students at the 2018 Smokey
Mountain Regional in Tennessee.
Photo by Shannon Werntz.
Strengthening
Communities
Through STEM
“We aspire to inspire.”
Those are the words of students Madeline
Sorensen and Caomi Fitz, outreach and pub-
lic relations co-leads for Mountaineer Area
RoboticS (MARS) competition team 2614.
“Through our outreach initiatives, we see
inspired West Virginia communities exploring
STEM fields and developing their commu-
nities,” say Sorensen. “We encourage West
Virginia students to get interested and
educated in STEM fields, which will strengthen
their communities with improved ideas and
stronger visions.”
Sorensen, Fitz and their fellow teammates
on the internationally recognized MARS
team design, build and program robots to
compete around the U.S. at FIRST robotics
competitions and host local mentoring ses-
sions, scrimmages and regional qualifiers
for elementary-aged robotics teams that
participate in FIRST Lego League robotics
competitions. MARS students also mentor
and referee at elementary state and national
championships, off-season competitions, the
West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind
robotics’ qualifier, FIRST Tech Challenge
competitions and VEX robotics competitions.
MARS was founded in 2008 by 12 students
and a handful of mentors on a FIRST Lego
League team called the Roboteers. MARS
became a registered FIRST Robotics Com-
petition team in time for the 2008 season,
and its first robot, MARVIN I, competed in
the 2008 Pittsburgh regional. There, team
2614 won its first regional and earned the
Rookie All-Star award, qualifying for the
2008 world championships.
MARS consists of high school students from
five North Central West Virginia counties and
local homeschools. Averaging about 35-40
students per year, participants learn from
collegiate mentors and parent volunteers.
The program offers students a unique oppor-
tunity to develop science, technology, engi-
neering and math and life skills outside the
classroom, as well as cultural experiences
through travel to competitions in places like
Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina
and Michigan.
MARS aims to provide a family atmosphere
that allows high school students to develop
skills and interests that are not offered in tra-
ditional classrooms. The program encourages
students to explore and develop skills in
computer-assisted design, mechanical robotic
builds, electrical wiring, computer program-
ming, STEM outreach and public relations.
Students also learn valuable business skills
by being involved in sponsor partnerships,
sponsor presentations, grant writing and
robotics mentoring for younger teams.
Based out of White Hall on the West Virginia
University campus in Morgantown, WV, the
MARS students design, build and program
robots to prepare for competitions, mentor
younger robotics teams and plan for STEM
outreach activities. This year, MARS students
participated in a Go Baby Go project that
mechanically altered a toy car’s seating and
steering wheel for a child with disabilities.
The team also hosts a biannual world-
class endurance robotics event called
WVROX. Teams from all over the U.S. and
one team from China participated in the
most recent competition.
“Events like these help promote STEM
awareness in our community and give West
Virginia a world robotics audience,” says
Fitz. “MARS students inspire youth in rural
and underserved areas in West Virginia and
around the world to pursue their creative
and intellectual passions. We hope to help
peers become well-rounded, proud West
Virginia students who are prepared to
engineer a better world.”
Student Erin Ballard repairs Marvin XI, MARS’
competition robot. Photo by Madeline Sorensen.
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