Clarke Central High School junior Evan Cornish poses with a Robotics Club robot in Room 114 on Feb. 13. Cornish joined the Robotics Club during the 2024-25 school year and won a grant allocating $2,400 to the club in December 2024. “I chose to join the Robotics Team because a lot of my friends were in the club. This year, I found that I had more time in my schedule to do more activities. And it turns out, it was a lot of fun. They’re (a) great community,” Cornish said. Photo by Isabella Gresham
The CCHS Robotics Club was awarded the Bullard Community Champions Grant from the University of Georgia Youth LEAD Georgia program.
Clarke Central High School junior Evan Cornish found two passions in his time in high school: the University of Georgia Youth LEAD Georgia program and the CCHS Robotics Club.
Cornish joined the UGA YLG program during the 2023-24 school year, and through it, won the $2,400 Bullard Community Champions Grant for the CCHS Robotics Club in December 2024. The grant money was donated to the program by the CEO of The Same House to provide the participants with an opportunity to fund projects in their communities.
“(To apply for the grant), you had to submit a request for a proposal, which would include what you were submitting and what you’re gonna fund. It would include a use of your budget (and) how you’re gonna spend your money,” Cornish said.
“I saw an opportunity to support my community and I took that opportunity. I wanted to support the school, especially with something that I’m involved in”
— Evan Cornish,
CCHS junior
Though the grant’s purpose was to “enable YLG participants to take on service projects in their local communities,” according to the University of Georgia Public Service and Outreach, the money could be used for a previously existing activity, such as the CCHS Robotics Club.
“I saw an opportunity to support my community and I took that opportunity. I wanted to support the school, especially with something that I’m involved in,” Cornish said. “I was like, ‘I can put (the grant money) to something that I know it will be used for and our school will benefit from, especially since we’re a Title I school (so) they’ll benefit from this extra money.’”
According to Cornish, roughly $1,900 of the grant money will be used for robotics parts, $300 for competition registration and the final $200 for tools and equipment.
“Each year, the (robotics competition) requires different robotics parts, and the more parts we have to choose from, the better chances of our success,” CCHS Career Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher Chris Sugiuchi, the Robotics Club sponsor, said. “(The grant is) a great way for us to have access to resources that we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get. It’s a nice boost for our program.”
