Ripley Viking Robotics started as an after school program four years ago.  Students who elected to participate in the program spent hours of  their own time after school building and practicing to compete in the tournament.  The next year, the robotics program was approved by the Board of Education as a class, which only members of the team were in.  Last year the program grew into two teams, with a separate class full of students who are learning the basics of coding and building before they join one of the teams.