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West Shore School News is a presentation of West Shore Educational Service District in partnership with Mason County Press and Oceana County Press.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — Local high school robotics team celebrated Tuesday when they officially opened up a place of their own. The UACJ First Robotics Practice Facility, 801 S. Madison St., opened with a grand opening and dedication ceremony. The facility was created as a result of a need for practice space of the local teams.
Karen Shineldecker, coach of the Ludington High School robotics team, was one of the initiators of the creation of the space. In a conversation with Brian Dotson, MiSTEM Region 9 director, she compared her team’s practice space to a basketball team only being able to practice on half a court with low ceilings.
As a result of that conversation MiSTEM Network Region 9 hformed a partnership with UACJ Whitehall Industries of Ludington to provide space for a new practice facility dedicated to local FIRST Robotics teams.
UACJ Whitehall Industries offered space within its facility to serve as a practice area for area robotics teams. The new venue will allow students to design, build, and test their robots in a safe and spacious environment, preparing them for upcoming competitions, Dotson said.
“We are incredibly grateful to UACJ Whitehall Industries for their support and commitment to the next generation of engineers and innovators. This partnership will provide our students with the resources and space they need to excel in the FIRST Robotics competitions, fostering creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills,” Dotson said.
“Investing in our robotics program is an investment in the future,” said Mike Wegener, vice president of extrusion at UACJ.
The new facility supports teams from Mason, Oceana, and Lake, along with other areas. Some of the major donors, in addition to UACJ and MiSTEM Network, were the West Shore ESD, Community Foundation for Mason County, House of Flavors manufacturing, Cooper’s Floor Covering, Carter Lumber, Haworth, West Shore Bank, GEMS Team 4362, and Ferris State University.
During Tuesday’s open house, local teams demonstrated some of their skills.
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