Liberty Common robotics team earns right to compete in international event in Morocco

Kelly Lyell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

A team of sixth-graders from Liberty Common School in Fort Collins earned the right to compete in an international Lego robotics competition next month in Morocco for consistent success in regional and state competitions over the past three years.

The Robot Rebels, as the team calls itself, are one of just two teams from the United States selected to participate in the 68-team event held May 18-21 in Marrakesh, Morocco, featuring teams from 42 countries, organizers said. The competition’s theme is “Sparking Great Ideas in the Kingdom of Light.”

The Liberty Common team of Charlie Notarfrancesco, Mateo Romero, Allie Smith and Anna Smith was chosen by Colorado First, the state chapter of First Robotics, which runs state, national, regional and international competitions.

Teams are judged in project design and research, teamwork, and robot building and programming, Liberty Common coach CJ Smith said Tuesday. In the First Lego League state competitions, the Robot Rebels finished first in innovation in 2020, first in robot design in 2022 and third in teamwork in 2021.

The four students, all 12-year-olds, have gone to school together at Liberty Common since they were in kindergarten, CJ Smith said, and they’ve competed together in First Lego League competitions since fourth grade. They first bonded over Stars Wars characters, she said, and each chose a robot from the movie series to represent themselves on their team shirts.

“They each have their own gift that they bring to the program, and the brainstorming that they’ll do — bouncing ideas off of each other — they have a wonderful chemistry,” she said. “They’re just great kids.”

Liberty Common is a tuition-free public charter school in the Poudre School District for students in grades K-12.

Robot Rebels team members Charlie Notarfrancesco and Alli Smith work on their robot during a First Lego League competition at Poudre High School. The Robot Rebels, a team of sixth-graders from Liberty Common School, have been selected to compete in an international competition next month in Morocco.
Robot Rebels team members Charlie Notarfrancesco and Alli Smith work on their robot during a First Lego League competition at Poudre High School. The Robot Rebels, a team of sixth-graders from Liberty Common School, have been selected to compete in an international competition next month in Morocco.

More: High school robotics teams compete for First Tech state title at Colorado State University

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Liberty Common robotics team headed to Morocco for international event