By: Matt Weinagrden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

The Grade 8 robotics team from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Elementary School in Woodslee has had an exceptional season, winning the first-place Innovation Award at the provincial FIRST Robotics competition held earlier this month at Durham College in Oshawa.

Building on strong performances at both regional and provincial tournaments, the BackTrackers have now been selected as one of only a few Canadian teams to represent the country at the FIRST International Canada Cup in Niagara Falls, taking place June 16–20. A total of 96 teams from around the world will compete.

The dedicated group of 10 students has invested countless hours into every aspect of the competition. In addition to designing and programming a robot capable of completing complex missions, they created the “Backtracker” — an innovative solution aimed at reducing conflicts between archaeological dig sites and construction zones.

The BackTrackers are now preparing for the international stage and working to raise the funds needed to make this opportunity possible.