CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill (WAND) - A local robotics team is headed to For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology (FIRST) World Championship in Detroit.

Ctrl-Z is FIRST Robotics Competition Team 4096 in Champaign-Urbana. Made up of 35 students from all over Champaign-Urbana, this robotics team is in their seventh season and this is their second year competing in the World Championship.

Started back in 2012, each January teams are given a challenge or game.The team then has 6 weeks to build and program a robot to compete in the game. Composed of 8th through 12th graders, the students are the master minds behind everything.

"It's got to be fully functional. We've got to prototype it. We've got to test it. We've got to redraw it," explained senior and team captain, Victoria Kindratenko.

After the robot is build, the team has to compete in two regional tournaments and win before they can move onto the World Championship.

"It's stressful, but really fun. When all that stress amounts to something, all the energy you put in and it (the robot) works, it's a good feeling," explained junior and robot driver, Sam Knight.

The purpose behind Ctrl-Z is to engage students and get them involved in STEM. During their off-season, when the team isn't preparing for competition, Ctrl-Z does numerous outreach program to get students excited about STEM. Each summer they host a Youth Robotics Academy at Booker T Washington Elementary School in Champaign. Kids get a hands on experience working with robots.

Freshman, James Braun attended one of the summer camps Ctrl-Z offered. He said being apart of the camp drew him into STEM and Ctrl-Z.

"Everyone was so happy. It was a great learning experience and a great environment," explained Braun who just joined the team this year "it's really involved and there is a lot going on."

During one of their recent competitions, Ctrl-Z received the Engineering Inspirations Award. This award is given to a team with measurable impact in community outreach. Team captain, Victory Kindratenk says it's not just camp, the team makes it their mission to be apart of everything in the community. From farmers markets to demonstrations, Kindratenk says they just want to teach everyone about STEM.

"As team captain I want to bring it out to the rest of the community, especially to kids who don't have that STEM opportunity in schools," explained Kindratenk, who plans to pursue a degree in engineering after high school.

The team is led by four female students and two male students. For captains Bryn Gerwin and Victoria Kindratenk they explained this is a good opportunity to show everyone how women can be involved in STEM.

"At high schools we don't have as many female teachers, especially in science. This (Crtl-Z) is a good opportunity to meet, interact and learn with other young women who are interested in STEM," explained Gerwin, who plans to attend Rice University and pursue a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering.

The student-run team gives kids the skills and knowledge to help with their futures. Assistant coach Bob Smith has been apart of the program since the beginning he explained Crtl-Z is setting students up for success.

"Watching them grow up from the start with smaller robots and then through this program. These kids go to college and now, I'm actually starting to see them get jobs as engineers," explained Smith, who won the Central Illinois Woody Flowers Finalist Award.

While Ctrl-Z prepares kids in STEM, coaches apart of the program feel these students are learning more than just science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"They also learn how to manage their time effectively and to communicate to local companies. They also learn how to cooperate with each other," explained head coach, Adam Pletcher.

"As a mentor it's not my job to tell them what to do it's my job to guide them," said Smith.

The team is set to competed in the FIRST World Championship on April 24, in Detroit. To learn more about the competition click here. Registration for Summer Youth Robotics Academy, for more details about the camp and pricing, click here. For more information about Ctrl-Z and the outreach the team is doing in the Champaign-Urbana community click here.