Robert E. Fitch High School’s FIRST Robotics Team, Aluminum Falcons, joined 38 teams as they competed in the FIRST Robotics District competition held at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass., on March 19-20.

More than 675 students attended this year’s event.

The Aluminum Falcons won the District Chairman’s Award and was named a District Event Finalist. The Cyber Colonels, from Ledyard High School, won the Creativity Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation.

The theme this year is transportation. Teams of high school students from all six New England states took part in “Rapid React,” a competition presented by the Boeing Company that challenged teams to build a 125-pound machine that can efficiently and effectively move cargo.

“The goal is to keep inspiring new generations of thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers whose work will someday build a better future,” said Christian Salmon, director of the Western New England FIRST Robotics Initiative, and associate professor and chair of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management department at Western New England University.

Teams competed to earn a spot at the New England Championships being held at the Big E in April.

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