Salem High School Hosts First of Series of District Robotics Competitions

Salem High School hosted the first of several district robotics competitions on Saturday and Sunday, March 1 and 2. The event featured 80 teams showcasing creativity and problem-solving through building and operating robotic creations. The competition enables students to develop their teamwork skills by collaborating with their peers while preparing them for future careers in engineering and technology. 

John Seeman, faculty advisor and team mentor for the high school's FRC Team 6324, said the event's small but competitive nature allows the high schoolers to gain valuable experience as they progress through the competition brackets. 

This past weekend's district competition marks the beginning of a series of events that will culminate in the New England robotics championship scheduled for April.

According to the team's Facebook page, FRC Team 6324 serves as the FIRST Robotics team at Salem High School. The team's website notes that FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. It was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen with the objective of encouraging youth to pursue careers in STEM fields. The inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition was held in 1992 in a small New Hampshire gym. Since that time, the program has expanded to include millions of youth from more than 30 countries participating across four levels of competition.

Salem High School was one of the earliest robotics teams to participate in FIRST and succesfully advanced to the national championship held at Epcot in 1998.