Northampton High School robotics team awarded First Class rating from VHSL

Northampton High School’s robotics team, The Shorebots (FRC Team 1908), has earned a “First Class” rating from the Virginia High School League (VHSL) for 2024. This designation reflects the team’s excellence in STEM education and their dedication. The VHSL evaluates robotics portfolios on their STEM applications and exploration, and The Shorebots received their rating in August after submitting their portfolio in May.

The Shorebots, competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), engage in a global program that blends STEM learning with competitive excitement. Teams build and program large robots under strict rules and limited resources, promoting STEM education, real-world engineering, workforce skills, and community involvement. The team, which started in 2006, includes both high school and eighth-grade students, focusing on both robot performance and community impact.

The Shorebots are supported by various organizations, including Northampton County Public Schools, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Northampton County, Rommel’s ACE Hardware, Gene Haas Foundation, Eastern Shore Signs, ShopBot/Bill Young, and Northampton County Education Foundation.

The team members include Captains Thomas Lynch and Abigail Zodun, Na’Riah Benoit, Jacob Duffman, Reid Travis, Samrit Kaur, and Ashley Zodun.