Congratulations to Team Sparky 384 from Henrico County, who joined teams from Martinsville, Va. and Raleigh, N.C. to become top winners in the 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Virginia Regional, a “varsity sport for the mind.”

With the purpose of inspiring future engineers and scientists, this year’s contest brought together 59 teams from Virginia, The Carolinas, Connecticut and Washington, DC to face off at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Stuart C. Siegel Center to compete in a two-day robotic basketball tournament. The top performers qualified to compete at the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis on April 25-28.

What do you know about the Wood Thrush? Do you know this small bird has one of the most beautiful songs of any North American bird? Do you know how to imitate the Wood Thrush’s flute-like two note trill that sounds like a yodel? Do you know why the Wood Thrush is rapidly declining in numbers? Some very engaging students at Lucille M. Brown Middle School in the City of Richmond certainly do and they intend to involve us all in Saving the Wood Thrush.

A snapshot of two powerhouse teams in the Big Idea Challenge: What do teams competing in the Big Idea Challenge look like?

They are diverse, ranging from family teams, to groups of co-workers, to school friends and others. They all share a love of competition, puzzles and the Community Idea Stations. Here’s a look at two of our top teams: