HEMPHILL, TX – The Toledo Bend Lake Association has awarded a grant to support the robotics program of the Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum in Hemphill.
The grant will be used to purchase 10 new sets of LEGO® Education Spike™ Prime components to be used in the museum’s annual Columbia Memorial Robotics Competition.
Various LEGO® Education sets have been used by East Texas school children since the competition’s inception, but were in need of replacement as the technology and software are retired and no longer supported by the vendor.
Features of the new kits include a programmable hub, motors, sensors, and a drag-and-drop coding language based on Scratch, with the option for Python coding.
The ‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum’s robotics competition is typically open to high schools from surrounding communities in East Texas and western Louisiana.
Each year, prizes, often including cash stipends and/or tickets to Space Center Houston at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, are awarded to the winning schools.
The on-site competition typically features a maximum of 10 teams, consisting of 3-4 members each. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate.
NASA astronauts, as well as Boeing and NASA Alumni League engineers frequently serve as volunteers for the competition, working alongside students to offer feedback and mentoring to the teams. In addition, a panel of judges comprised of astronauts, engineers, and top management evaluate the teams to select a winner.
Under the direction of their team coaches, students use the LEGO® robotics kits to complete a simulated space exploration mission.
The Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association in Louisiana, committed to improving Toledo Bend Lake and its amenities. The organization provides financial and volunteer support to steward the environment, maintain the lake’s aquatic integrity, and ensure it remains a world-class fishery and recreational resource.
‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum board member Vickie Thomas said the grant will have a lasting impact.
“This generous support from the TBLA will ensure that area students participating in our program will have access to the leading educational robotics materials. This gift will keep our competition relevant for years to come.”
Dates and information for the next Columbia Memorial Robotics Competition will be released in Fall 2025.
The Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum ‘Remembering Columbia’ serves as a memorial to the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy and as an educational facility dedicated to creating science and technology-inspiring learning opportunities for children and adults. Learn more at www.NASAColumbiaMuseum.com.
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Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum 'Remembering Columbia' 
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