The Pella High School Robotics program is hosting a Central Iowa FIRST meet this weekend for the first time in school history.

The Bionic Dutch have competed in the international FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition since 2017. This will be the first time ever that Pella High School has hosted the 23 team tournament here in Pella, and it’s coming this Saturday in the secondary gym from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The teams represented included Norwalk, Oskaloosa, West Des Moines, Johnston, Urbandale, Des Moines, Waukee, Newton, Prairie City Monroe, and others.

Hosting the event is part of the Bionic Dutch’s community outreach program, according to Coach Brent Ewell. Along with providing hands-on robotics activities the last three summers as part of the City of Pella’s Thursday Nights on the Square, the team is meeting with Pella Intermediate and Middle School students to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at the high school level. The Bionic Dutch are focused on showing exactly how this STEM curriculum is directly applied in the field of robotics.

Ewell says community members and students of all ages who like science related fields can stop by Pella High School and experience the excitement of robotics competitions. With safety glasses, visitors can actually walk through the pit area and watch the teams work on their robots in-between the matches. Admission is free.