Local youth have impressed the province with a top 10 showing at a robotics competition, a first for Vernon.

Dubbed the Mountain Shredders, the Vernon-based robotics team from the Okanagan AI and Robotics Academy competed and came 10th at the First Lego League B.C./Yukon Championship held March 9 in Maple Ridge.

The First Lego League is a global robotics competition that challenges students to think like scientists and engineers. Approximately 34 teams competed.

"We were the only team from Vernon this year and last year too," said lead instructor Renjith Madhavan, who started the 'club' with his wife two years ago.

Each year, teams (aged 10-16) are given a theme to explore, and they must complete projects, design robots and demonstrate core values such as innovation, teamwork and inclusion. This year's theme was 'submerged,' focused on exploring the ocean and developing solutions for ocean-related challenges.

The Mountain Shredders, consisting of Ryker Chorley (Silver Star Elementary), Spencer Collins (BX Elementary), Ethan Brink (BX), Sidharth Pillai (Silver Star), Kesler Embley (Vernon Secondary), Anthony Kim (Harwood Elementary), and Manthon Vo (Okanagan Landing Elementary), placed 10th as a team out of 34.

Prior to the provincial championships, the Shredders placed second at UBC Okanagan in February, where over 100 students presented their innovative creations to a panel of judges.

Okanagan AI and Robotics Academy was first established in the Okanagan Science Centre but has since renovated its own makerspace above Sushi Kawa (3125 31st Ave.) and hosts various camps and after-school classes and provides coaching for robotics competitions.

"We really focus on each student, guiding them through this journey," said Madhavan. "It's like swimming, moving through different levels."

The First Lego League was started in 1992 and as Madhavan has seen, it is much more popular in larger centres, but gaining momentum in Vernon.

"I was in the U.S. for 10 years. Our kids are seven and 12 and they used to participate (in robotics) and we just wanted to do something similar here.

"A lot of parents are very happy to see this for the first time."

The academy offers a free session for the community to check out once a month and Madhavan encourages anyone interested in joining or teaching to check out the array of equipment they have and are developing.

"We have deep ocean cameras and nobody to use it," said Randava, whose wife used to teach robotics in the U.S.

They are also working on a new project, aimed at getting more girls interested in AI and robotics by creating fashion swatch books by 3D printing fabric.

For more information visit .

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is hosting a free workshop for female and non-binary high-school students in Grades 8-12 who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The April 20 workshop involves working on robots and exploring the TRU Makerspace. Register at 

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