Jones Academy students get into Botball
By Brandon Frye
Choctaw Nation
Hartshorne, Okla. - Through a joint endeavor of the Department of Education and the Choctaw Nation, the school was able to initiate a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Program at Jones Academy.
The Indian Demonstration Grant is a government initiative to promote math, science, technology, engineering, and critical thinking skills in junior high and high school students. Choctaw Nation sponsored a robotics class at the academy, which competed in a team-oriented Botball tournament in the spring.
Program coordinator Lindsey House arrived in January and hastily organized a team of eight Jones Academy students to prepare for the contest. They had seven weeks to design and program a robot for the competition.
With the assistance of Steve Goodgame from the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, and Botball tutor Immanuel Ramirez and other mentors, the team earnestly set about their goals.
The challenge consisted of building two viable robots from a Botball kit. (All competitors had the same materials.) The team participated in the Oklahoma Regional Botball Tournament held in Norman on March 7. Out of 57 teams, the Jones Academy Botball team placed 14th in the competition and were named Newcomers of the Year. 
In an effort to generate more interest in robotics, Jones Academy were hosting two summer STEM camps scheduled for July 12-17 and July 19-24. Applicants for the camp are from the 10-county area of the Choctaw Nation. In a related matter, Hartshorne Public Schools also introduced a robotics class this year at the high school.
The Jones Academy Botball team consists of Kielind Jim, Zachary Bennett, Seth Crow, Jaycelyn Charger, Dale Two Eagles, Kanani Watashe, Melissa Chill, Naomi Christmas and team coach Lindsey House.