Kenwood Robotics Team Qualify For 2 World Competitions

A fifth and sixth grader from Kenwood Public School in Salina are making waves in the robotics world after qualifying for not one but two world competitions.

The duo is the only team from Oklahoma at the CREATE US Open Tournament in Iowa next week.

The Kenwood Robotics Team says making it to the world competition is a great achievement, but representing their Cherokee heritage is an honor all on its own.

The Kenwood Robotics Team is diligently honing its skills in robotics in preparation for the 2024 CREATE US Open Tournament.

Ceegyn Sapp and Carlie Harlin are cousins and were invited to the tournament after winning several awards this school year, including the robotics State Championship last week.

“It’s very shocking sometimes because of how much awards we’ve won so far, and this is our first year in robotics,” Sapp said. 

Their journey began with learning the intricacies of programming and building a functioning robot, but it soon evolved into a transformative experience, teaching them vital life skills such as problem-solving and being patient.

“We thought, wow, this is going to be very easy to build, but then we had a problem, then we had another problem, then we had another problem. So this robot took us like two months to build,” Sapp said. 

The team says through competition, they’ve built lasting friendships and discovered the value of teamwork, all while adding a touch of cultural pride to their journey by wearing traditional Cherokee dress during the competitions.

“The Cherokee Nation has been a huge part of developing this program and helping get to where we are at. Not only the community, but staff, the organization and businesses that come out and support,” Superintendent Jerod Phillips said. 

Despite facing challenges such as using obsolete equipment, the Kenwood Robotics team hopes its success will attract more participants and potentially lead to securing grants for updated equipment.

Ceegyn and Carlie will compete in the world competition next week in Iowa and will also compete in Dallas later this month.