The Windward School Omnicats have been part of the FIRST program since 2004. Since then, the robotics program has grown from a small student club group to a much larger, more sophisticated program. In 2004, the Windward School Omnicats started competing in FRC. In 2008, we opened up the option to compete in FLL and have been participating in FLL since. In 2010, we competed in FRC winning the Long Beach Regional Championship. In 2012, the Windward School Robotics established its robotics team name to be the “Omnicats” and created an updated slogan, “Student Designed, Student Built”. Throughout the course of our expansion, we have not only grown in size but also in recognition within our school’s community as well as the FIRST community in Los Angeles.
Over time, we gained sponsorship from the Windward Institute, the Boeing Company and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Jill Petty. We also initiated an expansion of our program to include more hands-on experiences with the 21st century technology such as CAD and 3D printing. Every year, we strive to expand our program and add to our team's history. Windward currently offers robotics for 7th – 12th graders. 7th grade students learn how to construct and program an autonomous robot using LEGO EV3 technology, and compete in the FIRST Lego League (FLL). 8th-12th grade students use the VEX Robotics platform, ROBOT C technology, and Project Lead the Way curriculum to develop and hone skills in Engineering, Design, and Robotics. The culminating experience for Windward Robotics is participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). |
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