Robotics for Country Schools · The Western Blue Tongues

Our students and mentors want to help regional WA schools get into competition robotics. This page has our offer to country schools, ways businesses can help a country team, and a free flyer template for country teams seeking their own sponsors.

Downloads

Robotics for Country Schools flyer (PDF, 2 pages): our offer to your school.
Robots for Regional WA sponsorship flyer (PDF, 2 pages): for businesses and community partners.
Sponsorship flyer template for country teams (Word, 2 pages): add your own team name, logos and contacts.

Our offer to country schools

Virtual mentoring sessions with our team. Your students and teachers get online help from our students and mentors.
Robot in 3 Days bootcamp. Your students take a robot from idea to driving in just three days. We can come to you with robots, equipment and mentors, or you can bring your students to our workshop at Southern River College in Perth.
WA Robotics Playoffs support. Help preparing for the WA Robotics Playoffs, and support at the event itself.
12 months of ongoing mentoring. A mentoring connection with our team for a year, to help your team keep going and sustain itself.

Download the country schools flyer (PDF)

A team member checks the electronics on the trolley robot.

Starting your own team?

If your school would like to start its own FIRST® Robotics Competition team, we can support you as you seek sponsorship. Our free Word template is a ready-made two-page sponsorship flyer. Add your team name, logos, track record and contact details, and set the amounts to suit your team. Its sponsorship levels are:

Connect: travel to Perth to visit metro teams and learn how they build robots and compete.
Learn: tools and equipment for your workshop.
Build: your team's robot. Robot kits cost $6,000 to $8,000.
Compete: a trip to the WA Robotics Playoffs.

Download the flyer template (Word)

For businesses: help a country team

Robotics and automation matter in rural WA: grains and broadacre farming, mining and resources, livestock and wool, horticulture and viticulture, farm machinery, transport, renewable energy, and fisheries. Our robots drive themselves with code and camera vision, like GPS-guided farm and mine machines, and students learn the engineering every workshop needs. Your support gives country students the same STEM chances as city students, and a path into careers close to home.

Sponsorship levels

Teach: fund our team to visit a country school and teach students and teachers to build robots and compete.
Learn: help a country team with the tools and equipment it needs.
Build: help a country team build its robot. Robot kits cost $6,000 to $8,000.
Compete: help a country team travel to the WA Robotics Playoffs, about $4,500 for 12 people for 5 days.

Other ways to help: pay for team shirts; donate materials for the many hours of workshop work (metals, plastics, fasteners, electrical supplies) or food for long build days; offer workplace tours to show students what you do; volunteer mentors with engineering skills to help students build their robot.

Every sponsor receives

Signage at our events and workshop.
Publicity in our promotions and outreach, and media recognition in our news and socials.
Your logo or name on our team shirt.
A workplace robot demo for your staff and customers.
A wall certificate of appreciation each season.
Career connections: students connect with your workplace and see possible careers.

Download the sponsorship flyer (PDF) or tell us how you would like to help on our supporters page.

What is the FIRST Robotics Competition?

FRC is the high school program of FIRST, for students aged 14 to 18. Each January a brand-new game is revealed. Teams have a few intense weeks to design, build and program a robot of up to 55 kg, then compete in alliances of three. Students also raise funds, run the business side and promote STEM in their community, guided by adult mentors. Read more about FRC.

The WA Robotics Playoffs

Every August in Perth, the WA Robotics Playoffs, hosted by Curtin and Murdoch Universities, bring robot alliances together for a tough, strategic game with strict rules but a free-flowing style. It is the home event for WA's FRC teams, and the perfect place for a new team to start. Event details.

A launcher test with a foam ball in the workshop.

Our track record

2026: WARP Autonomous Award for automated systems excellence.
2025: represented WA at the Southern Cross Regional robotics competition in Sydney.
2022 and 2023: runner-up finalists at WARP, the WA Robotics Playoffs.
2023: hosted a FIRST LEGO League tournament with 36 WA teams.

We are self-funded, with generous support from Southern River College, and rely on sponsors and fundraising.

Get in touch

Email john.townley@education.wa.edu.au or send us a message through our contact form. See our robots and more photos from the workshop, and follow us on Instagram.