In considering the value of being on the team, however, the Memorial Circuit Chargers do not talk about winning.

Instead, the students and their sponsor highlight what they have learned in the program.

Lane Cardwell Matheson, team sponsor and director of the Tulsa Engineering Academy at Memorial, started the robotics program in 2000 with just five students and now has 37 students on the team.

The goal was to attend at least one competition each year, but the team now enters between three and five, she said.

Next year, the team will have a lab and special workshops.

Matheson said the experience is unique for the students because unlike learning about science from a textbook, creating a robot shows them how to apply technology to their daily lives, she said.

"It helps them understand how engineering and science are vitally important in society," Matheson said.

Team members agreed.

"It's a great way to get students into engineering," said sophomore Roy Dayan. "It's like sports for the mind."

Caitlin Goodwin, a junior, said the team prepares students for the future.

"It's a good start for college," she said.

Twenty-two of the students are headed to nationals at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Championship, or FIRST, Thursday through Saturday in Atlanta.

The Memorial Circuit Chargers won the Regional Engineering Inspiration Award at the Greater Kansas City Regional competition in March.

The award goes to the team that the judges believe best inspires others to get involved in engineering.

At the national competition, about 380 teams from seven countries will vie for the top prizes, Dayan said.

Memorial team members said they hope to win awards in robotics, engineering inspiration, safety and imagery.

The students' robot, Leviathan, is five feet tall and weighs 108 pounds.

It has a pneumatic arm that can pick up inner tubes and place them on racks up to 10 feet high, Dayan said.

It also has an impressive power train, and in Kansas City, it managed to move the 400-pound rack onto which the robots place the inner tubes, Dayan said.

During competitions, four team members are in charge of the robot.

Two direct it with an Xbox 360 controller -- one student operates the body, while the other controls the pneumatic arm.

A third team member throws the inner tubes back into action.

The final participant is the coach or mentor, who acts as a cheerleader to inspire the team.

Members of Memorial's team had to try out to determine who would operate the robot at nationals.

The students spent six weeks building Leviathan after a kickoff in January.

They lost two weeks because of the snow and ice storms earlier this year.

Once the FIRST Championship is over, the Memorial Circuit Chargers will begin preparing for next year.

Students said they want to have a program over the summer to get people acquainted with the skills necessary for success on the team, such as using power tools.

The summer program will be part of the community-outreach aspect of the robotics class, which also includes a recycling program throughout the year.

Funding for the robotics team comes from a booster club made up of parent supporters; donations from individuals and corporations; and fundraisers the group has put on throughout the year.

The team has raised $13,000 since competing in Kansas City. Over $1,700 came from an event two weeks ago in which the students held a car wash, garage sale and raffle.

Although the money raised helps subsidize travel and participation costs, Matheson also expects the students to contribute financially.

"It gives them a sense of ownership," she said.

Matheson and the students emphasize the non-scientific skills they have gained from being on the robotics team.

"You learn a lot about yourself and your personality and your strengths and weaknesses," said sophomore Tori Stiles.

For more information about the FIRST Championship, visit www.usfirst.org. To learn more about Memorial High School, call 833-9600.