Champion High's robotics team on display at Warren library today

WARREN

The smiles and excitement grew as children as young as 5 and teenagers took their turns operating robotic machines at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library today.

The robots, one that shoots balls about the size of a soccer ball and spins rapidly in place and another that collects and stacks storage tubs, were built by Champion High School’s robotic team, The Lightning Bots.

Rachael Reeves, 7, brought to the event by her father, Lawrence Reeves of Warren, said she “liked the robot that goes the fastest.”

“It’s a great thing to expose her to something like this. It gets her out from in front of the television,” Reeves said of his daughter.

“It was pretty cool,” said Leanna Batchelder, an eighth-grader in the McDonald School District. Her sister, Allison, 11, “liked stacking the containers.”

“It is an awesome program that teaches high school students life skills, such as team-building and working together, in addition to technical skills through mentoring and coaching by adults, paid and volunteer, and older students,” said Barbara Hummel, who has been a program advisor since its inception 11 years ago.

Read more about the program in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.