SHARON, Pa. (WKBN) – Students in Sharon were happy to have the robotics team as a constant this school year. Now, they’ve won a competition all while helping the local community.

Building robots and helping older adults and kids in the Shenango Valley get moving.

“It’s very interesting learning about how we can help people and what their problems are. It just again feels great to know that we created a product that can actually help people get into better health,” said Kaytlen Moroney, a Tiger Techs teammate for three years.

The Tiger Techs at Case Avenue Elementary School built robots for a championship in Erie. The group of fifth through ninth graders also had to come up with projects to support the community in Sharon.

Coach Dave Tomko says this helps students gain more than just technical skills.

“They spoke with so many guest speakers from the community and talking to experts and they learn a lot of different skills with just interviewing and getting information from different resources,” Tomko said.

This year’s theme was “Replay,” which was all about getting active.

The school’s Black Team focused on keeping fellow students moving. They created a website with the help of high school athletes.

“Since COVID, numbers in sports participation have been down and they’re steadily getting lower. So now with this, we’ve been able to motivate more students,” said Keegan Widmyer, a Tiger Techs teammate for four years.

The Orange Team focused on older adults at a nearby nursing home, encouraging them to stretch and giving them a mental challenge.

“We were actually able to connect with them and we’ve worked with them in the past just trying to make their lives better. So it felt great to actually be able to do that,” said Kayden Moroney, a Tiger Techs teammate for three years.

Team Orange won overall first place in Erie for their robot that helps older adults. Now, they’re moving on to the world championships.