McCracken County is in its 3rd year for their robotics program. With an elementary, middle and high school team in place, youth are learning positive youth development in four guiding concepts:  mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity.  The robotics project fosters mastery by helping youth develop skills in design and assembly of robotic components, logical and process thinking in programming and applying skills involved in the Engineering Design Process; Belonging by learning to work as a team to determine and learn from other members strengths to cooperatively solve problems and create new products; Independence by helping develop problem solving and critical thinking skills; and Generosity by allowing youth to help others develop their own skills related to robotics, mechanization and programming.

Both the middle and high school teams were able to win and advance to the State competition in Lexington, Ky.
 The state competition known as Kentucky's Student Technology Leadership Program was held in Rupp Arena. Nearly 12,000 students were in attendance from over 100 districts.
McCracken County's 4-H home school RCX (Robo Challenge Xtreme) robotics teams, coached by Michael Rasche and Derrick Miller, placed well, reflecting the teams' efforts this year.

These teams work best with small numbers of focused students who have a natural inclination for programming, robotics, and mechanics. Without McCracken County 4-H leaders these youth wouldn't get to achieve the goals that they have set and with the leaders guidance we may see this shaping many of these young future engineers lives.