Help Send a Kent Robotics Team to the World Championship!

Six students from Kent, Ohio have earned the opportunity of a lifetime—representing our state at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas (April 29–May 2, 2026).

Our team, Charged Up #37348, is a FIRST LEGO League robotics team that meets 3–4 times each week at the KSS Robotics makerspace. Through months of hard work, innovation, and teamwork, we advanced from local and state competition to the global stage—where we will compete alongside teams from more than 50 countries.

Now, we need your help to get there.

What We Do

FIRST LEGO League isn’t just about building robots—it’s about solving real-world problems.

This year, our team took on a challenge that reached far beyond the competition field.

Our Innovation: The “Yeet-A-Latl”

As part of this season’s UNEARTHED theme, we partnered with Professor Metin Eren and Dr. Michelle Beber from Kent State University to tackle a real scientific problem in archaeology.

Researchers studying ancient tools like the atlatl (a spear-throwing device used for over 30,000 years) face a major challenge:

Human throws are inconsistent.

Inconsistent data makes scientific research difficult.

So we asked:

What if we could build a machine that throws like a human—but the same way every time?

That idea became the “Yeet-A-Latl.”

We designed and built a mechanical system that replicates human throwing motion—allowing researchers to collect consistent, reliable data about speed, force, distance, and accuracy.

This isn’t just a school project—our work has the potential to support real archaeological research and help scientists better understand how early humans lived, hunted, and developed skills.

️ What It Took

Meeting with university professors and engineering experts

Designing multiple prototypes

Learning CAD (Onshape) to model our system

3D printing and building custom parts

Testing, failing, improving—and trying again

Every team member played a role, contributing skills in programming, engineering, research, and presentation.

Why This Matters

Qualifying for the FIRST World Championship is a huge achievement—and a chance for our team to:

Represent Kent and Northeast Ohio on a global stage

Share our research with teams and experts from around the world

Compete at the highest level of youth robotics

Be inspired to pursue future careers in STEM

How You Can Help

Traveling to Houston comes with significant costs, including:

Transportation

Lodging

Registration fees

Equipment and materials

We are raising funds to make sure every team member has the opportunity to attend, regardless of financial barriers.

Be Part of Their Journey

Your support helps more than just a trip—it helps build future engineers, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Whether you donate, share this page, or cheer us on, you are part of our journey.

Thank you for believing in our team ❤️