Small school, big dreams: Fruitvale robotics teams secures spot in world championship
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Fruitvale Junior High School in Bakersfield is among various Kern County schools celebrating the recent accomplishments of their robotics teams, as the Region 3 State VEX Championships were held at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on March 4.
Recently, Fruitvale Junior High was named 2020-21 Kern County Innovative and Impactful school, a 2020-21 California Distinguished School (the only school in Kern County), and also redesignated for the second time as a National "School to Watch'' in 2018 by the National Forum for Middle School Reform.
The school is known for its revered academic and enrichment excellence--now they're making history again as the school celebrates winning county and state champions.
After walking away as champions in San Luis Obispo, three Fruitvale Jr High Robotics Teams will be gearing up to take on the world at the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.
The three teams from Fruitvale Junior High are:
- Team 7690S
- Team 7690W
- Team 7690F
The competition will kick off on April 25 and runs through May 4 with teams from all over, including Australia, China, and Uganda, among other groups from around the globe, who will not only celebrate their accomplishments but also participate to be crowned champions.
You can watch it here, beginning April 25 at 4 p.m., for its opening ceremony.
Fruitvale's robotics teams are in a longstanding collaborative relationship with the Kern High School District and the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG).
Fruitvale Junior High School Technology and Robotics Teacher Holli Shelton say she is beyond proud of how far her students have come and collaborated in their teams.
I am just so excited that these students are going to get to showcase their love of engineering, their design process. and something that they have worked, you know, six months on to really show what they're made of," Shelton said.
Ahead of the world championship in April, Shelton says they are looking for Bakersfield businesses that would like to donate some of their promotional items (buttons, bracelets, pins, stickers) so they can give out to other teams who will be at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas and share a little bit of Bakersfield love with the world.
You can drop off promotional items of your business at:
- Fruitvale Junior High School: 2114 Calloway Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93312
- Fruitvale School District: 7311 Rosedale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93308
From all of us at Eyewitness News, we are cheering on the Wildcats!!
Eyewitness News Mornings Reporter Tony Salazar was live at Fruitvale Junior High School to celebrate the three robotics teams' county and state champions and gets a peak at what they are working on ahead of the VEX Robotics World Championship.
