About Dickson Area Robotics Team
Our Story
DART started in 2008 with 11 members
•This year, we have 12 members
•We’ve competed at South’s Best 11 times
•Each year, we have
competed for the BEST Award
paving the way for future generations.
Transforming Industries with Dickson Area Robotics Team
We're DART, a team of passionate teenage engineers and innovators dedicated to building the future of robotics. We design, build, and program advanced robots to compete in BEST Robotics. Our mission goes beyond the competition floor; we're committed to inspiring the next generation in STEM and proving that with teamwork and ingenuity, anything is possible.
Thank you to our AMAZING sponsors.
About BEST Robotics.
Michael Colleti
Johannes Starks, Executive Director
Johannes Starks, Executive Director
Regional Director of Music City BEST
About BEST
Johannes Starks, Executive Director
About BEST
BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) Started in 1993 when two Texas Instruments engineers, Ted Mahler and Steve Marum, inspired by an MIT robotics class video, launched a small competition with 14 schools. With TI’s support, North Texas BEST was born.
By 1994, a second hub formed in San Antonio, leading to the first Texas B
BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) Started in 1993 when two Texas Instruments engineers, Ted Mahler and Steve Marum, inspired by an MIT robotics class video, launched a small competition with 14 schools. With TI’s support, North Texas BEST was born.
By 1994, a second hub formed in San Antonio, leading to the first Texas BEST state playoff. More hubs followed in 1995, including locations in Frisco, Lubbock, and Chicago. That year, Texas BEST became an annual championship sponsored by TI and Texas A&M.
In 1997, BEST Robotics, Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, expanding across Texas and into neighboring states. A New Hub Workshop at TI in 2001 accelerated national growth, especially in the South, culminating in the launch of South’s BEST in 2003.
As BEST spread nationwide, more regional championships emerged: Frontier Trails (Arkansas) and Northern Plains (North Dakota). In 2009, the bi-annual BEST National Conference launched, followed by the first BEST National Championship in 2010.
Today, BEST continues to thrive as a volunteer-driven nonprofit that champions hands-on STEM education: always free to schools, always student-led.
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