Pictured are sixth grade students (top) Kade Newton, Miriam Pugh, and Andi Clanahan Pate, TCS Gifted Specialist; (bottom) Kade Diamond, Ayden Winters and Laykin Smith.

The Gifted student program in the Thomasville City Schools (TCS) District has received a $6,288.00 grant from RiverBEST Robotics for an innovative robotics project.

RiverBEST Robotics is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Clarke County Development Foundation. The RiverBEST had previously hosted a regional robotics competition in Thomasville. The grant is intended as a first step to bring robotics back to TCS with future robotics projects planned for the coming years.
A portion of the project will be utilizing the “Finch” robot from BirdBrain Technologies. The robot will bring computer science to life by engaging students with hands-on representation of their code.
The gifted students will also use Hummingbird robotics kits, filled with lights, sensors, and motors, which allows them to create robots out of any materials.
“The students will develop important skills such as creativity, adaptability and resilience as they carry out the engineering design process,” said Andi Clanahan Pate, TCS Gifted Specialist.
The gifted program serves approximately 45 students from third to sixth grades through a pull-out program.
Pictured are sixth grade students (top) Kade Newton, Miriam Pugh, and Andi Clanahan Pate, TCS Gifted Specialist; (bottom) Kade Diamond, Ayden Winters and Laykin Smith.