DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF NIAGARA
DSBN's Robotics Team Heads to Houston for FIRST Robotics World Championship

The District School Board of Niagara's (DSBN) award-winning robotics team, 1114 Simbotics, is set to compete at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas, from April 16-19. After a season defined by technical excellence, collaboration, and inspiring leadership, the Governor Simcoe Secondary School-based team is ready to showcase their talents on the world stage.

Founded in 2003 at Governor Simcoe, 1114 Simbotics has become a fixture in the robotics community. Over two decades, the team has built 20 competition robots, won 38 regional and district competitions and is ranked third in the world for the most Blue Banner wins, with an impressive total of 56. A highlight in their history came in 2008 when they won the FIRST World Championship, followed by their induction into the FIRST Hall of Fame in 2012 after winning the prestigious FIRST Impact Award (formerly the Chairman's Award).

This year marks a bittersweet milestone: Simbotics' final year receiving an automatic legacy invitation to the World Championship, a privilege extended to teams inducted into the Hall of Fame. "This season the World Championship is a celebration," said the team's Lead Mentor, Dacotah Harvey. "It's a celebration of the students who were on the team last year and made such drastic improvements to perform at the level we have, and it's a celebration of the new students who were able to join the team and immediately pick up the ropes laid down by the graduating class."

Engineering Excellence: Meet Simbot Suzuki

This year's competition theme, REEFSCAPE, challenges teams to build industrial-sized robots designed to solve problems inspired by ocean ecosystems. Rising to the challenge, Simbotics engineered a robot they named Simbot Suzuki, paying tribute to renowned Canadian environmentalist, David Suzuki. Designed, assembled, wired and programmed in Java by a group of 26 students from Grades 9 to 12, the robot took approximately four weeks to complete under the guidance of mentors.

Simbot Suzuki is powered by 15 motors, equipped with three cameras and features five key subsystems, each tailored to complete a specific task in the underwater-themed challenge. Built with precision and purpose using a variety of tools from Governor Simcoe's manufacturing shop, the robot is a testament to Simbotics' commitment to innovation, collaboration and excellence.

2025 Robotics Season: Competition Wins & Awards

Both the team and Simbot Suzuki have earned recognition at district events held earlier this year. At the FIRST Robotics Competition hosted by Niagara College (March 8-9), the team received the Excellence in Engineering Award, recognizing Simbot Suzuki's outstanding design. Individual accolades also followed: Grade 11 student Ian Tapply earned the District Championship Dean's List Semi-Finalist Award and mentor Dacotah Harvey was nominated for the Woodie Flowers award, providing both an opportunity to advance to the next level of competition.

Later in March, the team's alliance placed second overall at the FIRST Robotics Canada Ontario District Competition, held at McMaster University, and Simbotics was awarded the Gracious Professionalism Award in recognition of their collaboration and support of other teams. Most recently, the team ranked 6th out of 50 teams in their division and advanced to the semi-finals as captains of the fourth-seeded alliance at the FIRST Robotics Canada Provincial Championship (April 2-5 in Mississauga).

Mentorship & STEM Inspiration: Inspiring Younger Generations

Competition aside, Simbotics continues to lead in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and community outreach. In February, the team formed the core volunteer base for the FIRST Tech Challenge Ontario Provincial Championship, held at Brock University. Students filled various essential roles including pit administrators, tour guides, referees and robot inspectors, helping to ensure a smooth and inspiring experience for all attendees.

The team is also dedicated to inspiring younger generations. Over the past two years, Simbotics has led over 30 free LEGO Robotics workshops for elementary school students, complete with custom lesson plans designed to teach programming and strategic design. "Simbotics was instrumental in organizing four competitions for elementary students to compete in LEGO robotics challenges, right here at our school," said Erin Risto, Program Lead of Technology at Governor Simcoe. "These activities promoted our school, programs and culture while students on the team demonstrated their leadership skills and knowledge of robotics."

Shaping Futures: In the Classroom & Beyond

Along with competition and volunteer opportunities, students in the Simbotics program learn valuable real-world skills including finance and business planning, problem-solving, graphic design, programming, photography and leadership. "Besides gaining technical knowledge and learning opportunities, robotics has also made me a much better communicator," shared Jim Williamson, an alumni-turned-mentor. Another student noted, "Not only have my mechanical skills improved, but so have my general employable skills like teamwork, cooperation and initiative."

Simbotics is not only building robots - it's shaping the future. While the program's goal is to inspire greater levels of interest and excitement for science, technology, engineering and math, its lasting impact is further reflected in the high number of graduates who have gone on to pursue post-secondary pathways and careers in STEM.

"Through robotics, students develop confidence, resilience, a growth mindset and problem-solving abilities," shared Britta Breivik, English teacher and robotics mentor at Governor Simcoe Secondary School. "I am so proud to see them grow up through this extra-curricular family. When they graduate from Governor Simcoe, I know they are well prepared for whatever the future holds."