Houghton-Portage Township Middle School Hosts Upper Peninsula Robotics Competition

Local schools in the Upper Peninsula have been getting kids interested in STEM fields with the help of robotics teams and competitions. Tomorrow Houghton First Robotics will host an Upper Peninsula-wide robotics competition during the U.P. FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifier.

Around 200 middle school students from around the region will compete with student-built robots for a chance to move into the playoffs. Those teams moving on to the next round will earn an invite to the Michigan FTC State Championship. During tomorrow’s competition, 13 teams will start the competition, but only a few teams will move into a match in the afternoon.

The U.P. FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifying opening ceremony will begin at 10:30 am tomorrow. The most exciting matches will likely occur in the afternoon and the public is encouraged to check out what students are learning in the classroom and applying to the real world. The robotics competition will take place at Houghton-Portage Twp Middle School at, 1603 Gundlach Rd, in Houghton. Tournament play will begin at 11 am. Organizers expect the afternoon matches will begin around 3 pm.