Pinkston Robotics rockets to World Championships: a journey of innovation and collaboration!

In the heart of Mountain Home, a team of young innovators from Pinkston Middle School is gearing up for the opportunity of a lifetime. Pinkston Robotics, a group of six talented students under the guidance of their coach, Chrissy Davis, is set to compete in the World Championship in Houston, Texas. Their journey is not just about showcasing their skills in robotics, but also a testament to the power of community support, mentorship, and relentless determination.

After clinching the Innovation Project Award at the regional qualifier in December 2023, Pinkston Robotics continued to shine, securing the Engineering Excellence Award at the Arkansas State First LEGO League Championship. Their outstanding performance earned them a spot not only at the Western Edge Open in Long Beach, California. 

But now the stars have aligned, and Pinkston Robotics has the honor to participate in the World Championships. The World Championship is reserved for first place teams from each region all over the world. The event will have teams competing in First LEGO League Challenges (grades 4-8) and First Tech Challenges (grade 7-12) under the same roof. Pinkston Robotics will now join Mountain Home High School’s Bomb Squad and Mountain Home Junior High’s Junior Bomb Squad in representing Mountain Home and the state of Arkansas against 160 teams from across the globe.The event will consist of competition in robot design, robot game, and innovation project. It celebrates science, technology, engineering, and math for the community of young people preparing for their futures.

The team comprises six brilliant minds: seventh graders Alison Free, Bray-Lynn Hopper, and Brooks Barber, alongside sixth graders Abigail Hale, Ava Allen, and Crews Wooldridge. Under the guidance of Coach Davis, along with the assistance of high school students Olivia Clements and Noah Dikerson, these young enthusiasts have honed their skills in robot design, programming, and problem-solving.

Since Pinkston Robotics was founded in 2018, the team has won awards at the State competition almost every year. They have been invited to four after-season events: the Asia Pacific Open in Australia twice, the Western Edge Virtual Tournament, Western Edge Open, and now the World Championships. 

The Bomb Squad First Robotics Competition team 16 has been kind enough to allow the Pinkston Robotics to join them on their World Championship adventure. “We are thankful for the Bomb Squad  FIRST Robotics Competition team 16 for graciously allowing us to join them on this adventure. They have given us rooms from their reserved hotel block and allowed us a seat on the charter bus. We could not have made this happen without them!” says Coach Davis.

Pinkston Robotics is fortunate to have the world renowned Bomb Squad FIRST Robotics team in their backyard. Coach Davis fosters a love for FIRST robotics to prepare the middle school students to go on to the Jr. Bomb Squad and High School Bomb Squad. Members of the High School team then come back to mentor the middle school team throughout the competition season. Not only does the Pinkston Robotics team learn to build a robot and program it, they also learn problem solving skills, how to strategize as a team, how to research and present their ideas to professionals as well as how to be gracious competitors. 

So far, the community has raised approximately $7,000 for the Pinkston Robotics to be able to compete in the Western Edge Open in Long Beach, California, but the team will need to raise at least that much more to cover the cost of competing in the World Championships in Houston, Texas. “We are so grateful to live in this community! We have truly been blessed by the community’s generosity!” expresses Chrissy Davis.

On April 23, 2024, Pinkston Robotics will hold a BINGO night at the Sheid in Mountain Home from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, snacks, and BINGO. There are pictures of the donated items on the team’s Facebook page (Pinkston Robotics).

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation you can do so by donating to the Science and Technology group and in the memo “Pinkston Robotics”. Checks can either be mailed to Pinkston Middle School or the Science and Technology group.

Be sure to follow Pinkston Robotics on Facebook to learn more about the program, see the videos of the robot, and checkout the team’s accomplishments throughout the year. Coach Davis can be reached at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to provide financial support to get the team to Worlds!