After enduring break-ins, a trailer crash, and the loss of school district support, the Burien-based Tekerz Robotics team is fighting to stay on course for a dream opportunity – competing on the global stage at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas.
The student-led high school robotics team is headed to Cheney this week for the Pacific Northwest Championship, where they’ll compete this coming Thursday through Saturday to quality for the FIRST Robotics World Championship, set for April 16-19 in Houston, TX.
But despite a strong competitive showing this season, the team now faces a critical hurdle — funding.
“Those that believe that STEM activities where students dedicate thousands of additional hours to learn is good for this district,” team Coach David Dammann said at the Sept. 4, 2024 School Board meeting. “They need you once again … those electronics that may have to raise money to replace, we were informed today after 15 years we are no longer considered a Highline School District program.”
Battling Through Burglary, Budget Cuts, and Bad Luck
Over the last 18 months, the Tekerz have dealt with:
- A $5,000 theft of tools and robotics parts in December 2023, just days before a major competition.
- The loss of support from Highline Public Schools, which left them without a dedicated workspace or funding.
- A crash involving their equipment trailer while en route to a competition in Oregon earlier this month.
Despite the setbacks, the team has advanced through the season and is now just one strong performance away from qualifying for the FIRST World Championship — a global event drawing top student engineers from around the world.
Team member Zoë Bryant, who also spoke at the Sept. 4, 2024 Highline School Board meeting, emphasized how much the program has meant to her:
“I learned adaptability skills, perseverance, and most importantly teamwork. We got things stolen multiple times, even right before a competition. But as a team we still persevered and adapted to be able to go and crush it. Teamwork is an incredible skill to learn and grow, especially if you get to learn it along with the other things that can help in life, such as programming and building skills that could help me get jobs in the future. This program has meant so much to me and made a big difference in my life and I’m sure it’s done the same for the others on my team.”
Video of School Board Testimonies
Watch video of Damman and Bryant speaking at the Sept. 4, 2024 Highline School Board meeting:
How to Help
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover the costs of travel, lodging, and equipment transport for the team if they qualify for Houston, with a goal of $15,000 set. Any remaining funds will go toward next season’s expenses, as financial uncertainty remains.
