DENHAM SPRINGS — Two groups from Denham Springs High School are participating in major competitions that showcase the best of the best. The Denham Venom Robotics team recently competed in an international championship, while the STEM Sharks are headed to a national-level contest later this month.
Both teams are among a select few chosen to represent Louisiana on national and global stages. The Denham Venom Robotics team recently made history in their trip to the World Championships in Houston.
Denham Venom Robotics on the world stage
The Denham Venom Robotics team, a FIRST Robotics Competition team, attended the World Championships for only the second time in its history. As part of the competition, students design and build a robot weighing approximately 120 pounds to complete specific tasks in a game.
At this year’s World Championships event in Houston, the Denham Venom team was No. 1 in their division, winning nine of 10 qualifying matches against teams from Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, China, Israel and others.
This is the farthest any Louisiana team has ever made it in the FIRST Robotics Competitions.
Students spend January and February designing and constructing their robot, with competitions beginning in March.
This year, the Denham Venom team attended three regional events, with the first event in Arkansas in March. Denham Venom competed in three regional events, beginning with a tournament in Arkansas in March. They also attended the Magnolia Regional in Mississippi and the Bayou Regional in Kenner, Louisiana.
Each event hosts over 30 teams that compete in qualification rounds using randomly matched 3-on-3 robot alliances. Teams are ranked based on performance, and top-ranking teams advance to the elimination rounds.
To qualify for the World Championships, teams must either win their regional or earn enough points through awards and placement. Denham Venom secured a spot by reaching the finals in Arkansas and earning critical points. They went on to become finalists at the Magnolia Regional and champions at the Bayou Regional.
At the World Championships in Houston, Texas, from April 16–19, Denham Venom competed with around 600 teams from countries including China, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, and more.
Currently ranked in the top 4% of FIRST Robotics teams worldwide, Denham Venom offers more than just engineering experience. Eiland describes the team as a “business model,” where students contribute skills ranging from photography and writing to construction and design.
More than 30 students from Denham Springs High will be participating.
STEM Sharks heading to National Championships
The STEM Sharks will compete at the National Championships in Washington, D.C., from April 27–29. Out of 50 state winners, they are one of only 10 teams selected as national finalists, and the first team from Louisiana to reach this level in 15 years.
The team created and designed an app to help answer questions residents have about the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project proposed for the Lake Maurepas area.
DSHS teacher and Shark team sponsor Mark Zweig said that the app is designed to help locals get information about the project and current conditions at the lake and be able to contact authorities in the case of an emergency leak.
The project was part of a Samsung-sponsored problem-based learning challenge that asked students to develop solutions to local issues.
The STEM Sharks’ app features four user-friendly buttons that organize information in an accessible way, Zweig explained.
As national finalists, the team has already secured $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies, along with all-expenses-paid travel to D.C. for the competition.
Team member Madison S. said she’s excited to present the project in a “Shark Tank”-style pitch.
“We’re pretty confident on presenting it, because it’s something we’ve worked on since the beginning of the year. We’re excited to finally be able to present it because we’ve worked so hard on this project,” she said.
Three of the 10 teams will win the live pitch competition on April 28, receiving a $100,000 prize package. The remaining seven teams will retain the guaranteed $50,000.
Teams can also compete for the Community Choice Winner, which is based on online voting by the general public. Competition organizers have posted a three-minute video of each finalist team, and viewers are encouraged to vote for their preferred team. The competition allows the public to vote once per day for each day through April 20.
To vote for the STEM Sharks team, click on “Denham Springs High School.” The team with the greatest number of votes will win $10,000 in prizes in addition to their national finalist winnings.
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