By Katie Forcade

 SySTEMic Solutions, which was created by Robert G. Templin, the president of Northern Virginia Community College, plans on sponsoring the Tuscarora Robotics Club this year. SySTEMic Solutions’ goal is to engage elementary school students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education program and keep students interested in robotics throughout high school, college, and beyond.

 SySTEMic Solutions created a robotics-funding program in the fall of 2013 to aid Northern Virginia public schools’ robotics clubs.  They ran camps the summer before and helped 700 students gain experience in technology and robotics, as well as learning to work as a team with one another.  With their support, robotics clubs throughout Northern Virginia will gain new technology and be able to compete in regional and state competitions.

Tuscarora’s Robotics Club, run by Ms. Katrina Owens, a technology teacher, will receive support from SySTEMIC Solutions.  This support includes donations of robotics equipment. The Robotics Club will also be registered into events and competitions.  A one-year team license for RobotC (a program preventing “bugs” and viruses from robotics software)  and RobotC virtual worlds (way to use robotics virtually instead of physically) has been donated to the club as well.  The Robotics Club receives a salary of $1500, to be divided between two teachers.