FIRST and Foremost
FTC team members in the heat of competition at the FTC Vermont Regional Championship in February 2024 at Lamoille Union High School
possible.“ As much as we love when people generously contribute money, it’ s not everything. Money will get us parts, but technical expertise is something that we know is out there but is hard for us to find. If there’ s anybody out there with technical skills who wants to share them, we would love to hear from them. Even if parents aren’ t technical, just showing up and helping … makes a difference.” She notes that new team members are accepted at any point during the season, and that more information is available through the team website:
manchestermachinemakers. org
The Manchester Machine Makers are entering the 2025 – 26 season with considerable momentum, and the fall kickoff event at the Manchester Community Library will be followed up in January with a Vermont FTC Qualifier Competition. Hosted by the Manchester Machine Makers and the Cookie Clickers, the regional qualifier event will be held at Mount Anthony Middle School on January 31, 2026. The Qualifier competition is one of several Qualifier Competitions throughout
Vermont, which also include two separate events in Hinesburg( January 24, 2026) and in Northfield( February 15, 2026). Those events will lead up to the Vermont Regional Championship in South Burlington on March 7, 2026.
For Rutins, the rewards as a coach are clear.“ Interacting with kids who are just really into learning, who are so open to exploration and solving these problems— that’ s what it’ s all about for me. I just love watching them go to competitions, cheering for other teams, and realizing they’ re part of something bigger than themselves.”
The Cookie Clickers: Bennington’ s Robotic Pioneers
While Manchester’ s Machine Makers were the first FTC team in Bennington County, the Cookie Clickers quickly followed, launching in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.“ We started in the middle of COVID,” recalls Chris Callahan, the team’ s founding coach.“ We began by meeting on Zoom, and we met for the first time in person that year during the week of Thanksgiving.”
The team grew out of a group of families looking for something hands-on during a time when school and extracurriculars had gone remote. With early support from the Bennington Area Makers, the Cookie Clickers began attracting students from Bennington, and also from nearby New York towns like Hoosick Falls and Cambridge. Callahan recalls that the early years were a study in resilience.“ It was basically a‘ third space.’ In the middle of COVID, kids had school on Zoom and they had their life at home. This created something else: A space where kids developed different skills.”
The Cookie Clickers quickly made a mark, earning recognition at state events. Their robots have been ambitious, sometimes incorporating mechanisms that were powerful, yet challenging to control. One season’ s oversized robotic arm was impressive, but somewhat problematic. Cookie Clickers team member, Callam Jomaa, elaborates:“ It was really strong, but it was also very heavy. The center of
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