Berkley Elementary Robotics Team Competes at State Tournament

Berkley Schools is proud to announce the successful completion of its first-ever FIRST LEGO League Challenge (FLLC) season, marking a major milestone in bringing accessible, hands-on STEM learning to students across the District. 

This fall, a FIRST LEGO League Challenge enrichment program was held at Rogers Elementary with six teams coached by Media Specialist Dan Duffey and supported by the BHS Robotics team, the Berkley Education Foundation’s Enrichment Program and BHS National Honor Society students. The teams spent months designing, building, and programming LEGO robots and developing innovative research projects aligned with the challenge theme. Throughout the season, students not only built competitive robots but also delivered thoughtful and engaging Innovation Project presentations to panels of judges. Each team demonstrated FLLC core values: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.

Once the robots were built and presentations finalized, the teams showcased their hard work at a competition. One team tied for the highest robot game score of the entire weekend, and earned the Robot Game Award. Berkley teams also brought home four additional awards for Core Values, Robot Design, and a 2nd Place Overall finish that included a fast pass invitation to the Michigan State Championship.

At the State Championship, the Shadow Clubs Green Team delivered a valiant performance, overcoming a few technical challenges while also posting several strong robot runs throughout a fun-filled and memorable competition day. Beyond the robot game, team members impressed judges with a confident and well-executed Innovation Project presentation.

“We are incredibly proud of these students,” said Kevin Schokora, head coach of BHS Robotics Team. “Their dedication, curiosity, and teamwork truly embody what we hope to inspire through STEM education.”

“Our students worked really hard, learned a lot, and had a lot of fun practicing and competing,” said Katie Lewis, Rogers Principal. “It was a wonderful opportunity for them, and it was awesome to see our high school student coaches support our teams along the way.”

“This experience was invaluable for our students,” said a high school team mentor. “Competing at the state level in our inaugural season speaks volumes about their teamwork, creativity, and perseverance.”