Brown Academy was the only elementary school from Hamilton County Schools in the Tennessee State VEX IQ Robotics Tournament in March before schools closed.  
 
Beck Chandler and Nicholas Raspberry represented Brown Academy and the district at the tournament against 20 other elementary school teams.  Daniel Middlebrooks, innovation coordinator, and Logan Hester, a fifth-grade teacher at Brown Academy, accompanied the students to the tournament.
 
The Brown Academy team earned the right to go to the state tournament by competing in local competitions.  There were five local tournaments and a local finals competition.  The local matches included middle schools and an average of 18 teams in each competition.
 
The team of Mr. Chandler and Mr. Raspberry was ranked number five in the Tennessee State Elementary Rankings by Robot Events Competition Foundation (REC) at the end of local competition. The ranking earned the Brown Academy team a spot in the Tennessee State Competition held Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 at Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tn.
 
Entering the final rounds of the state tournament, the Brown Academy team was ranked first in skills and autonomous operations.  Mr. Chandler and Mr. Raspberry missed the tournament title by one point, finishing in second place. The Brown team received the Sportsmanship Award that was voted on by other teams’ students and coaches.
 
“The boys showed a positive and friendly attitude toward others, and it was recognized and appreciated,” commented Daniel Middlebrooks, innovation coordinator at Brown Academy.
The Brown Academy team was waiting to hear if they would represent Brown Academy and the district at the VEX Worlds 2020 Competition in Louisville, Ky planned for April when the competition was halted due to COVID-19. 
 
Brown Academy is the only elementary school in Hamilton County Schools that participates in this program.  The entire group of students participating consists of 15 in third through fifth-grade, divided into three teams.  Destiny Carnal, a second-grade teacher, is also a coach for the teams. The groups met each Monday from August to December to prepare for local competitions. Brown Academy has participated in the program for three years.