By Steffen Klenk
Since 1989, the Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic County has been serving area youth, with a mission of improving relations between police and the community. Over the course of the year, children and teens participate in a variety of programs, from e-sports competitions to workshops, media, and automotive clubs, along with an expansive summer camp program, with weekly S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and sports camps offered.
Now, PAL’s Robotics Team, the Enforcers, are about to embark on a quest for a World Championship. Representing the First Tech Challenge, the team recently won their third straight state title during the Garden State Rumble event in March. The robot used in state competition will head to Houston later this month, and according to senior Nova Bansal, the process of building began in September. “We’re given a new challenge every year; our challenge this year was to build a robot that could score on every different height of the competition field.”
This year’s competition field consists of various poles ranging at different heights. The higher the pole, the more points the team receives. The robots used in the competition are created by the Enforcers team themselves. Once the challenge has been revealed, the team will get together to brainstorm, and test their ideas. Throughout the season, the teammates, consisting of students from middle to high school, will test and refine their designs using 3D printers.
Watching competitions, whether online or in-person, can feel like a sporting event. Captivated audiences can watch the field of play and cheer on their favorite team all the way to victory. With each robot designed to carry out a specific task, co-team captain Matthew Levine stresses that the robots themselves are for learning and not just for entertainment. “This isn’t BattleBots. We’re making robots that are useful, that are doing something that’s effective, to solve a problem.“
For many of the kids in the Robotics Team, they aren’t just learning lifelong skills but discovering as they succeed with their new-found skills. Hector Tavarez, executive director of the Police Activities League, stresses the importance of this firsthand experience. “I don’t think some of these kids will even see some of the stuff they’re seeing now in college.”
Students that have seen success at PAL have gone on to some of the country’s most well-known colleges and universities, from Princeton to Rowan, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, and Brown. Bansal is preparing his future and has applied to major in computer science with a minor in robotics. “I think this is the single biggest thing that pushed me towards that direction because it is so interesting; every single day I see something new about robotics coming out.”
Before the Robotics Team can make it to Houston, they need to raise $30,000. Anyone interested in donating to the cause may visit their website at ftc7149.org. There you will find additional information on the FTC Robotics team with up-to-date statistics, photos and more. You can also subscribe to the team’s YouTube channel @ENFORCERS7149 and follow them on Instagram @ftc7149.
The Enforcers will also host a fundraiser on Thursday, April 6, at Little Water Distillery in Atlantic City from 5:30-8:30pm. There, you can meet the team, see a demo of the robot and 3D printer, enjoy a complimentary spirit tasting (ages 21 and over), and support the team. A portion of the proceeds from cocktail and bottle sales will go directly to the team’s travel fund.
The FTC FIRST Championship will be held in Houston April 19-22. All competitions will be broadcast on FIRSTtv at twitch.tv/firstinspires and the Twitch app. The full schedule of matches will be announced soon.
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
