Coconino High School’s Robotics Team Achieve 2024 FIRST Championship Impact Award
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The CocoNuts, the robotics team of Flagstaff’s Coconino High School, secured the prestigious 2024 FIRST Championship Impact Award, entering the FIRST Hall of Fame after a competitive event from April 17-20.
Photo courtesy Coconino High School Facebook.
Led by coaches Christine Sapio, CHS science teacher, and retired NAU Teach Professor Dave Thompson, the CocoNuts distinguished themselves amongst a field of over 1,000 FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Lego League teams of students from 58 countries in front of 50,000 attendees at the FIRST Championship in Houston.
This season, out of nearly 5,000 FIRST Robotics Competition Teams teams from across the globe, only 600 reached the FIRST Championship
The CocoNuts were honored as one of six Impact Award finalists, signifying their outstanding commitment to the FIRST mission of inspiring innovation and fostering impactful STEM education.
The FIRST Impact Award is the apex of recognition within the FIRST Robotics Competition, celebrating teams that exhibit sustained excellence and influence both within the FIRST community and their local regions. It applauds teams that act as role models, extending their reach beyond the realm of robotics to mentor and shape the influencers of tomorrow.
The CocoNuts earned this prestigious award through their work starting new FIRST teams on the Navajo Nation in a program they call “RezBotics,” running the FIRST Tech Challenge program for the entire state of Arizona, and their extensive advocacy for STEM education both at the state and national levels.
Flagstaff Unified School District, Coconino High School administrators, and the Flagstaff community at large have been instrumental in nurturing the CocoNuts’ success
The CocoNuts also have numerous sponsors and partners that help make their mission possible. Their unwavering support is now echoed in the halls of the FIRST Robotics Hall of Fame, with Flagstaff, Arizona, becoming its newest member. Only 36 FIRST Robotics Competition teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The FIRST Robotics Competition, a branch of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization, has been catapulting young people into the future through its suite of team-based robotics programs. FIRST participants and alumni are equipped with STEM learning, interest, and skill-building that extend well into their post-high school careers. Founded by Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has made a profound impact, evidenced by the enthusiasm and advanced technological ingenuity showcased at their international competitions.
The CocoNuts exemplify the pinnacle of FIRST’s vision—turning a passion for STEM into tangible success and fostering a community spirit that transcends the competition arena.
For more information about the CocoNuts’ journey to the 2024 FIRST Championship and their future endeavors, please contact Christine Sapio at csapio@fusd1.org.
