Investment in Local STEM Education Highlights Company’s Commitment to Innovation and Youth Empowerment
Salina, KS – Clearwave Fiber, a leading provider of Fiber internet, awarded a $1,000 technology grant to the Salina Roboyotes during a community celebration at Kansas Wesleyan University. The event honored the team’s successful first season in robotics competition and highlighted the importance of investing in STEM education and local youth innovation.
The Roboyotes, a high school robotics team made up of students from Saline County, recently completed their inaugural season with a strong showing at the 2025 “Reefscape” challenge. Despite a late start, the team placed 31st out of 36 teams and earned the All-Star Rookie Award, a testament to their creativity, teamwork, and perseverance.
“This is an impressive group of individuals and a great example of innovation,” said David Armistead, CEO of Clearwave Fiber. “We’re proud to support their future growth and help ensure that students in smaller towns have access to the same technological opportunities as those in larger cities.”
Armistead also reflected on Clearwave Fiber’s connection to the Salina community. The company entered the Salina market three and a half years ago, making it one of the first areas to benefit from Clearwave’s state-of-the-art Fiber internet infrastructure, which now reaches more than 250,000 homes and businesses nationwide. Most recently, Clearwave upgraded its network in the Salina area to deliver 10 times the capacity, enabling even faster, more reliable service for homes, schools, and businesses.
“Salina played a key role in our early growth,” Armistead said. “We believe that fast, reliable internet is no longer a luxury—it’s essential. With fiber, students can learn, businesses can grow, and people can live and work wherever they choose, without having to leave the communities they love.”
The Roboyotes’ robot, Zippy, was built entirely from scratch and demonstrated during the event. The Roboyotes are part of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program, a nationwide initiative with over 10,000 teams that promotes hands-on learning in robotics, coding, and engineering.
During the celebration, Clearwave Fiber leadership and representatives from the Salina Chamber of Commerce showed strong community support. The event included opportunities for attendees to engage with students and mentors, fostering interactive conversations that emphasized the importance of youth innovation and local investment in technology education.
Clearwave Fiber’s donation reflects its broader mission to empower communities through technology and ensure that students in places like Salina have the tools to thrive in a connected world.
