Out of hundreds of high schoolers from across the country, two Mercer County West Virginia University Extension 4-H‘ers traveled to Nebraska for the CREATE U.S. Open Robotics tournament, finishing in the Sweet 16.

This tournament is one of the largest robotics tournaments in the world. The team practiced for nearly a year designing, building and refining their robot before traveling to Nebraska to compete in March. The team that traveled to nationals included high school seniors, Isabella Mitchem and Bryce Burgess, who have been a part of the MercerBots 4-H robotics team since its inception nearly 10 years ago.

“I initially joined robotics because my sister was going, and they were having ice cream at the first practice, and I wanted ice cream, but I never left,” Mitchem said. “Since then, I have developed a love for competition robotics, and I am glad for that strange reason for joining.”

Burgess joined the program because he always had an interest in technology and was drawn to hands-on building, problem-solving and tangible results of coding.

“Being in the MercerBots 4-H robotics program has been an incredible learning experience,” Burgess said. “I have learned so many skills, and the program has been instrumental in my personal and academic growth — allowing me to think critically and creatively to solve complex problems. Being a part of MercerBots represents being part of building something, creating a legacy and fostering a community for students interested in STEM. It is rewarding to see how we have developed both personally and professionally, and to know that I have contributed to the program’s successes.”

To qualify for the U.S. Open tournament, teams have to win a major award at a regional competition. The MercerBots won the Excellence Award at their first competition in Pocahontas County. Then, the CREATE Foundation chooses whether to send an invitation to attend the U.S. Open. After receiving an invitation to participate in the U.S. Open, teams from across the country, along with a handful of international teams, compete against each other to win various awards.

Mitchem explained that the national competition was an amazing experience where she met many people from across the world and saw new parts of the country.

“My favorite part of the competition was the qualifying rounds,” Mitchem said. “They took up the majority of the competition and were super exciting, even if we did not win the match.”

Burgess explained that making it to the Sweet 16 at a national level competition was an incredible honor and testament to all the hard work and dedication he and Mitchem put into the program. This is the first time in program history the MercerBots made it to the U.S. Open Robotics tournament.

To advance to the next round, teams had to perform well in the qualification round. High ranking teams got to choose other teams to form an alliance with for the elimination rounds. The MercerBots formed an alliance with a team, allowing them to work together, execute a complex strategy and learn about each other’s lives despite being from different places. The MercerBots won elimination matches, allowing them to advance and finish in the Sweet 16.

“It is an amazing feeling to finish in the Sweet 16 because we were able to show how competitive a team from southern West Virginia can be against teams from more technology focused areas,” Mitchem said. “This competition taught me how to deal with adversity quickly and to have fun while doing it.”

When preparing for the competition, the MercerBots practices were unconventional, as they tried to operate as resourcefully as possible. While other teams practice with official VEX game elements, they created their own elements to practice with, using old game elements based on the specifications released by VEX, Burgess explained.

“Reaching nationals has long been a goal of the team,” said Sarah Brown, 4-H Youth Development agent, Mercer County. “Their recent success represents the culmination of hard work and dedication by the youth and volunteers. It reflects not just competitive success, but the strength of the program’s educational impact. Isabella’s and Bryce’s long-term dedication and leadership to the program is a testament to the success of the program.”

Participants in the MercerBots program learn the basics of STEM, programming, gain real-world problem-solving skills, learn the engineering process and how to use basic robotic tools. In the program, students design and program a robot to complete different tasks. Students also learn public speaking, communication and teamwork skills.

“The program has helped participants build confidence, develop collaboration skills and think critically,” Brown said. “Even during the pandemic, the team continued to meet virtually and in-person when safe, showing their commitment to learning over competing.”

Mitchem and Burgess are both graduating from high school this year. Mitchem was awarded the Mildred Fizer 4-H scholarship and will attend WVU to study music education in the fall. Burgess will be attending Columbia University to study information and data science.

The MercerBots program started through a Child Youth and Families at Risk grant, where LEGO robotics was introduced at a state event. Initial interest in the program came from two youth participants, who went on to have careers in robotics, and as they aged, the team expanded to VEX Robotics, to accommodate older youths.

In addition to the Child Youth and Families at Risk grant, funding for the MercerBots 4-H robotic program has been provided through a donation from the Hunnicutt Foundation, which also entirely supported the team’s trip to Nebraska. The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, under a robotics and science fund.

The MercerBots fund is under the stewardship of the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

The MercerBots program is open to anyone as a member of the 4-H Robotics club, to join, contact mercerbots@gmail.com or visit 4H.ZSuite.org.

To learn more about opportunities in the 4-H program, visit extension.wvu.edu, or contact your local office of WVU Extension.