DECATUR, Ill. — It’s been a record-setting year for 4-H Scream’s FIRST(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge Team, Super SCREAM Bros. Their performance at the Central-Southern Illinois Qualifier provided multiple opportunities to set the record for highest scoring matches. The team also received first place INSPIRE award during this event, allowing them to compete in the Illinois FIRST Championship earlier this month.

Super SCREAM Bros. had an impressive day at the Illinois Championship event. Their robot’s performance found them in sixth place out of thirty-six teams at the end of the day matches. Another FTC Team picked them as an alliance for the semi-finals, and Super SCREAM Bros. made it into the finals but did not win.

FIRST, however, is not entirely about match play, and Super SCREAM Bros. has made promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) throughout the community a priority this year. The judges recognized those efforts at the Illinois Championship. The team received the MOTIVATE award, which recognizes teams who successfully demonstrate their efforts to spread STEM throughout their communities. The team also received second place INSPIRE award, which led to even more excitement. The INSPIRE award was also their ticket to compete at the 2022 FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas.

FIRST Championship is an international event for the FIRST robotics competition season and celebrates science, technology, engineering, and math. This event will be in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from April 20 through April 23.

For more information about 4-H SCREAM’s FTC Team, Super SCREAM Bros., please contact 4hscream14204@gmail.com.

WRITER: Maria Lightner, Marketing and Communications, University of Illinois Extension

ABOUT 4-H: Illinois 4-H empowers and prepares Illinois youth for success. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois, affecting the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs, groups, and short-term programming.