KALISPELL — An all-female robotics team from Kalispell has earned a spot at the World Championship in Houston, but they need help getting there.
"I went to the world championships last year, and I am so excited to go back and do it again," said Dennis Dortch, RoboScout Squad coach and mentor.
On Feb. 6, the team of girls earned an advancement to the 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, which sees over 300 teams from around the world come together to learn, compete and showcase their robots.
"I was in shock. It took a while to realize, we're going to worlds!" said Coco Vick, RoboScout Squad team member.
The team has worked for months on their 30-pound FTC robot, Bandit, for the event.
"It's just been a whole lot of fun, just working on everything, figuring out how to get different things to work," said Aubrey Hardwick, RoboScout Squad team member.
But there is one roadblock in the way - the need to raise $27,000 in nine weeks for the trip.
"We're estimating this trip will be somewhere between 28 to 27 thousand dollars to get the team and all the equipment and everything to and from Houston and to be there for the week for the competition," said Krista Nunnally, RoboScout Squad coach.
The team immediately turned to the Flathead Valley for support, which has so far helped raise around $4,500.
"We could not do this without a great deal of support from our family, our friends, community business leaders and people who genuinely see the value in what we're doing here and what these kids are learning. We are very very appreciative," Nunnally said.
With still a ways to go, the girls are hoping for the chance to represent the Flathead Valley on the national stage.
"It would definitely be such an honor and I would love to be able represent to Flathead and Montana as a whole at the world championship," Vick said.
Donations can be made through the team's GoFundMe account, checks and business sponsorships.
