TWIN BRIDGES — Students at Twin Bridges are gearing up to showcase their robotics skills on the national stage, bringing a uniquely Montana perspective to the competition.
The Twin Bridges Robotics team has given students like eighth-grader Kolton Osentowski significant roles in coding, engineering, and leadership. Despite their young age, team members say they've been developing these skills for years.
"It kinda started, like, when I was younger playing with Legos and stuff," Osentowski said.
From farm work to robotics mastery: Twin Bridges students are taking their skills to the national stage at the first-ever Governors' Cup in D.C.
For teammate Colter Raben, the foundation came from practical farm work.
"I've just had so much practice over the years, even outside of robotics, just out working on the farm with my dad, trying to get our farm working, that it's just a good life skill that I've developed," Raben said.
In February, one team from each state will attend the inaugural Governors' Cup robotics competition in Washington, D.C. Teacher Jen Kearns believes her students bring something special to the national stage.
"People don't really understand the unique skill set that kids from Montana have. I mean, lots of 'em, especially in rural areas, learn from a young age that if something needs fixed, they can't necessarily run to town to get a new piece. They have to figure out how to fix it, and they've seen that done their entire lives," Kearns said.
Teacher Ben Hoffman notes that opportunities to participate in national STEM events are limited for rural Montana students.
The team needs to raise $15,000 to attend the competition. But Hoffman says the experience will be invaluable.
"It'll be great for networking. They'll get to see kinda some of the top teams from around the country, you know, and see what they do and the time that they put into their robots," Hoffman said.
While Raben admits to some pre-competition jitters, it's not about the robotics challenge itself.
"I'm a little nervous for the way there, like all the flights and stuff, but I don't think I'm too nervous for the competition," Raben said.
When asked about the future of artificial intelligence, Osentowski remained optimistic about human control over technology.
"I don't know. I feel like we have control over so we should be able to, like somehow turn them off," Osentowski said.
To donate to the team, you can head to this fundraiser.
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