AUBURN – The Shoals Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the Shoals-area winners from the South’s BEST Robotics Championship held last weekend at Auburn University. Fifty-seven teams spanning six states participated, and four represented the NW Alabama BEST Robotics region. These teams included Creekside Academy, Brooks High School, Covenant Christian School, and Russellville City Schools.
Students from Brooks High School placed third in the BEST Award, presented for excellence in oral marketing; team exhibit and interview, spirit and sportsmanship; and engineering notebook.
“That’s the highest we’ve ever placed at the regional level,” said Stephanie Newland, Vice President of Workforce Readiness at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. “We are proud of all of our students for the hard work they’ve put into not only engineering their robots, but selling them with their presentations and enthusiasm.”
In addition to the third place BEST Award, Shoals-area students, including one faculty member, placed in these categories:
• Russellville Middle School, Lee Brownell – Briggs and Stratton South’s BEST Teacher of the Year
• Brooks High School – MathWorks Simulink Design Award
• Creekside Academy – Marketing Presentation, Second Place
• Creekside Academy – Web Page Design, Second Place
• Brooks High School – Game T-Shirt Design, Second Place
• Creekside Academy – Best Team Mascot, Second Place
BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science & Technology) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue 
careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like science and engineering-based robotics competition. The Shoals Chamber of Commerce and Northwest-Shoals Community College have partnered to host the NW Alabama BEST Robotics Competition for the past four years.
“Out of seventeen different hubs in the United States, The Shoals Chamber of Commerce is the only chamber of commerce that is a coordinator of a local competition,” stated Newland. “We are proud of that fact. With the help of this community and our partners, we remain committed to preparing young people for the workforce and their future endeavors.”
MEDIA RELEASE/THE SHOALS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/CHELSEA KAUCHICK/DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING
