SCHOOL notebook

Robotics Team Wins Design Award at World Championship

Team 88880X-Ex Machina, an allgirls robotics team from Rock Ridge High School, recently won the Design Award in their division at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, TX.

Sophomores Niesha Karthik, Aneesha Koninty, Rayna Budigelli and Amulya Gottipati represented the school at the World Championship after qualifying in March by winning the Design Award at the state VEX Robotics Championship.

The Design Award is given to the team that demonstrates exemplary skills in design, documentation and the ability to develop a high-quality robot, according to the announcement.

The judges were impressed with the team’s unique approach to solving complex challenges and their dedication to continually improve, according to the announcement.

The VEX Robotics World Championship was held April 25 through May 4 in Dallas. The annual event brings together the top robotics teams in the world. This year more than 800 high school teams from 50 countries participated. For more information, go to roboticseducation.org.

Loudoun Grad Earns Spot in UK’s Fulbright Institute

Freedom High School and Academies of Loudoun graduate Vishnupriya Alavala received a spot in the Fulbright Summer Institute to study at Scotland’s University of Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art for three weeks.

Fulbright is one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs worldwide and helps U.S. undergrads with little to no travel experience outside North America explore the culture, heritage and history of the United Kingdom while experiencing higher education at a UK university, according to its website. The Summer Institutes form part of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s work to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange, according to the announcement. The Commission selects participants through a rigorous application and interview process.

Participants visit the Scottish Parliament, museums, galleries, and other historical sites as they explore Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Alavala, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, said she hoped the experience would improve her current education.

School Board Recognizes June as Pride Month, National Gun Violence Awareness Day

The School Board on Tuesday adopted proclamations to recognize June as LGBTQ Pride month and June 2 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Both proclamations were brought to the board by Erika Ogedegbe (Leesburg).

Added to this year’s LGBTQ and Pride month proclamation is information that states a vast majority of LGBTQ students attending public schools in 2021-2022 experienced in-person harassment or assault. It also states LGBTQ youth living in an accepting community had lower incidents of suicide. The proclamation aims to celebrate the diverse community and build a culture of inclusivity and equity both in June and the rest of the year.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day seeks to honor those who were killed and those who survived gun violence and to bring awareness to the need to do more.

Every day more than 120 Americans are killed by gun violence and more than 200 are shot and wounded, according to the proclamation. n