The winning Davis College robotics team pictured with Principal Denis Healy.
Davis College is celebrating a wonderful achievement in science and technology this week. On Saturday last, over 20 Cork secondary schools competed in the Vex Robotics Competition in CIT. The competition, sponsored by Cork-based multinational EMC, encourages schools to look at innovative ways of teaching and learning so as to promote interest in careers in science and technology. The overall winner of the competition was Davis College, whose teams, Davis Devils and Satan’s Little Helper, won the main prize, the Excellence Award. This award means that Davis College will participate in the World Championships in Kentucky in April.
As well as winning the Excellence Award, Davis College also received an award for hosting the very first school’s scrimmage in November 2016. A new award was introduced this year, testing driver control skills. Davis College came out on top in this also. Davis College, therefore, has the distinction of being the first school to represent Ireland for the third time at this prestigious event.
The team was mentored by three teachers from the school, Ms. C. O’Sullivan, Mr. J. O’Brien and Mr. S O’Riordan. The team of students showcased two very unique robots. The group’s huge commitment and excellent teamwork was commended by judges. Their passion for the project was evident in the fundraising effort they engaged in to buy matching t-shirts, with each student’s role on the team printed on the back. These roles included builders, designers, fundraisers, scouts, a web designer and programmers. As well as two outstanding robots, the team also developed an amazing stand, brochures for the judges, a mascot and their own website, dcrobotics.weebly.com.
Their marvellous triumph was greeted with great cele-brations by students, parents and teachers alike, with college principal Mr. Denis Healy praising the efforts of the students and saluting the massive commitment of the team. He also extended his appreciation to the college’s partners in the project, EMC. Davis College Mallow now looks forward with antici-pation to the international stage of the competition in Kentucky in April. The college is also proud of its emerging reputation as a leader of quality teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and maths.