OUR TEAM
​Who We Are
The Extraordinary Innovation Laboratory is a student led group of homeschoolers who all share a passion for robotics. We participate annually in the 6 week long BEST Competition. We create a robot and present our team as a company to a panel of judges.
During the time inbetween the seasons, we have held several camps including Lego Robotics Camp, Engineering Camp, and a Minecraft Camp.
​What We Offer
EIL provides a safe, family friendly environment for students to come and learn various skills that can be used in various different places later in life. We are an incubator of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Along with that, we also provide oppurtunity for students to learn Marketing and Communication skills.
We also provide a outlet for students to learn preform various leadership roles including President, VP of Marketing, and VP of Technology. These roles allow students to practice leading others in a safe environment where messing up is OK. We strive to create an environment where learning is the highest priority .
BEST Competition Overview
The BEST Competition is designed to Boost Engineering Science and Techonology through a robotics competition. The competition has other elements including a Marketing/Presentation.
On competition kick-off day, the BEST organization debut's that seasons competition. They reveal the course, the story, and they also give the materials that are used to make the robot.
For the next 6 weeks, teams work to create design a build a robot.
Teams also create a Engineering Notebook, a Display Booth, and a Presentation. These three things are combined and call the BEST Award.
The Engineering Notebook document the Engineering Process and the methods we use to create the Robot. It also includes a research paper on a subject related to the theme of the competition. It is reviewed by a group of judges and graded.
The Display Booth is a physical representation of who the team is and what they do. It also relates to the theme of the competition is graded by a group of judges.
The Presentation is given my members of the team to a panel of judges. Its intent is to present the team as a company. The Presenters try and sell their robot as the solution to the problem faced the BEST organizers.
At the end of 6 weeks, all the teams compete in a local competition. The robots compete with each other, and the BEST Award criteria are judged. At the end of the competition. The 1st place Robot, and the 1st and 2nd places for the BEST advance to the Regionals competition.
At Regionals, all the local hubs in the surrounding area compete in a much higher profile competition with 60+ teams.