2 Clovis Unified robotics teams headed to the world championships, now they need your support

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two Clovis unified robotics teams are headed to the world championship competition in Texas.

You can support them in competition by donating to help fund their trips.

Team "Reading Unblocked" has designed, built and coded their robots for competition.

They're gearing up to go against the best in the world at the first Lego league in Houston, Texas, later this month.

Kastner Intermediate eighth-grade student Alissa Gomez is on the team and is ready to head to the world stage.

"It's really exciting, and I'm excited about all the opportunities that we're going to go to," Gomez said.

Robotics coach Vincent Oraze says the six-person team placed second at the Central California competition.

But when the first-place team declined to go to the world championship, they got their shot.

It's the first time a Kastner robotics team has made it to the world championship.

Oraze is excited for his students to be among so many other robotics teams.

"I just want to go there and experience it. If we walk away with any kind of award, that's just gravy," Oraze said.

The competition is made up of several parts, including an innovative project, which includes an app that's going on the Google Play Store and the actual robotics competition, where students have coded their robot to complete tasks.

Over at Buchanan High, the "Bird Brains" robotics team is headed back to the World Championship for the twelfth time.

They secured their spot by earning the Impact Award.

Instructor Dimple Ravuri says it is the most prestigious award given out.

"It really does recognize a team that's extremely well-rounded. You can't just have the best robot. You can't just be doing outreach events the entire time. You need to make sure you're doing everything that you can on all fronts," Ravuri said.

The high school competition is different compared to middle school.

Senior Caroline Kepplar says they've been working since January to perfect their skills.

"We're going to be competing with our robot, as well as presenting everything our team has done with three of our impact presenters," Keppler said.

Teams compete on a floor four times the size of the one they were practicing on Friday and have to complete tasks such has shooting or dropping a ring into a designated space and having the robot hang on a chain.

The Bird Brains have put in hundreds of hours of preparation and want to have a repeat of 2015, when they won the entire competition.

"We're hoping to do it again," Keppler said.

Both teams are fundraising to support their trip to Houston.

If you'd like to donate, you can support the Buchanan Bird Brains by clicking here.

You can support the Kastner Reading Unblocked team, by clicking here or scanning the QR code below.

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