Robotics Presentation Essay
Our Route
We see advancing FIRST’s mission as an ambitious rock climb. Here at 3230, we make sure our robot isn’t the only thing doing the climbing. When attempting an ascent, you first have to plan a route and destination. 3230’s objective is simple, as our mission statement proclaims: “We believe in creating a strong community, fed by our ability to spark continuing excitement for STEM in younger generations. Through this, we create sustainable growth and win our education. Our goal is to provide a stable environment where inclusion, independent curiosity, and hands-on experience are at the forefront.” This education is our summit. Our rope is our team; our anchors, outreach; our carabiners, team impact; and finally our harness represents sponsorships. Each team member is a piece of string. Tied together they build a powerful rope that anchors itself into communities, secured by a love for STEM, lifting our team and those around us to the summit. Essentially, when we’re bound together, we’re bound to go places.
Rope
To begin a climb you need rope. Our rope is comprised of dedicated and diverse members that give our team extraordinary strength. Our team is distinct in two ways: firstly, a significant portion of the team has been homeschooled since 3230’s inception. Today the team is 30% homeschooled. We also have a broad diversity of location. Our members are spread over 60 miles of the Wasatch Front, sacrificing significant quantities of time to make it to daily meetings. 3230 has a unique policy on diversity: we believe strength comes from having members with a wide variety of skills, so we allow students to work on the projects that they have a natural interest for. We take whoever wants to be on our team, no matter who they are. We don’t make an effort to attract a certain gender or minority. We’re not looking for token members, but for those wanting to contribute. Allowing everyone on the team to feel valued for their skills creates strong connections, further binding our rope together.
Anchors
Rope does little in a climb unless it is secured by anchors. Our team’s anchors are advocacy, outreach, and community. We have reached out at events such as Fan X (Salt Lake City Comic Con), SLC Mini Maker Fair, and more. Just this year we demonstrated at several public schools including RSL Academy, Bingham High School, Lincoln Elementary, and Fort Herriman Middle School.
Our team has found an anchor in strengthening the FIRST community. Over the past 5 years, 3230 has mentored a collection of FIRST teams. This effort included mentoring 7 FLL teams and assisting 2 FRC teams. This season we had the opportunity of mentoring 2 FLL teams. Countless hours were invested in sparking a love of STEM. Team members worked together to make a robot and create a project that eventually took them to state. One of them placed third and the other won two innovation awards.
Our FLL teams serve as anchors by providing new team members. Students from these teams often express interest in joining Prototype X. This is where our membership has been supported in the past. One student shared, “Members of 3230 mentored my FLL team when I was in fifth grade. From their example, I was inspired to join FRC, and am now mentoring the FLL team FPM^2. It has been a great experience! Without 3230 reaching out and mentoring me, I never would have had this opportunity.” Prototype X has also assisted FRC teams. Last year we welcomed RSL Academy’s rookie team to the FIRST family by assisting them with their managing, coding, and electrical wiring. At last year’s Utah regional our pits were placed side by side, and we helped our neighbors navigate their first regional.
Prototype X’s dedication to community outreach has created support that we can always fall back on. We have had friends and families (sometimes families with no current members on the team) come to out of state regionals decked out in team gear ready to support. Our fans are a little army of FIRST advocates, always willing to put in a good word for FIRST and spread its impact.
Not only do we have supportive fans, but we have filled a niche in Utah’s education system by reaching the growing alternative schooling community. This community is difficult to breach due to its fractured nature. By being an independent team, we are able to provide homeschooled, private schooled and public schooled students with the opportunity to participate in FIRST, beginning with FLL and continuing on to FRC. Two-Thirds of our team members are students from alternative schooling backgrounds. By networking in a personal way, we spread STEM and FIRST to an often overlooked community. This unique channel to spread FIRST and STEM has become one of the strongest anchors for our team. We have also found that many students are eager to join FRC early, so we started an internship program. Eighth-grade students are welcome to join 3230 and quench their thirst for knowledge as they learn from older students. Three of our previous interns are now in their 5th year of FRC, drawing on their experience while helping new climbers.
Outside the education community, we have been able to make an impact at a statewide level. Utah governor Gary Herbert is an honorary member of our team, and by working with Representative Cunningham we were able to sponsor a bill for STEM funding and education. We brought the message of FIRST to the entire state of Utah when we were interviewed on FOX 13 and KUTV 2 news channels. We continue to look for more opportunities to work with the state so we can spread the joy STEM opportunities have brought to us.
Carabiners
The carabiners on our journey are the lasting impacts our team has had on its members. Members of our team are overflowing with excitement about FIRST and that enthusiasm can’t help but bubble over. Many team alumni have spread their excitement for STEM by mentoring other FIRST teams. One 3230 graduate is mentoring a team in Texas while on a religious mission after getting special permission from his leaders. Another mentored an FLL team just this year, despite tackling the challenge of being a college freshman. Team alumni also routinely come back to meetings to help mentor new members. 3230 deeply impacts its members so that they share FIRST wherever they go. Last year a student was in a play and told a fellow thespian about FIRST. Through her excitement, this climber was able to recruit another member for our crew. In 2015 and 2016 members of our team had the opportunity to go to Nepal, and take their FIRST excitement with them. There they were able to present at Kathmandu University with a few LEGO robots, and give a presentation on programming. Not even the Himalayas can stop Prototype X’s climb!
Our team members past and present are a big part of the growing STEM community. Many members have graduated to pursue higher education in engineering and computer sciences. In fact, we have not one but two alumni pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering--both named Jakob! Current team members have also pursued achievement in STEM. In 2017 one of our team members received 2nd in the K12 student innovator of the year contest. Members have also mentored two teams in SeaPerch, an underwater robotics challenge. Another member of our team was recognized nationally as a 4H Youth In Action for her efforts to share STEM.
The Harness
Every climb has a harness that makes the whole project possible. Our sponsors offer crucial support which gives us the courage to climb. These include Fidelity, Tesoro, The Leonardo Museum, Northrop Grumman, The Boeing Company, Rockwell Automation, BioFire, and Utah STEM action center. Through these sponsorships, we have been provided with financial support, shop space, and a mentoring network. We have frequent mentors as well as specialists who donate their time to share their expertise. To give back, we annually give a private presentation to Northrop Grumman employees during their engineering week. We have shown our gratitude to The Boeing Company by representing them at The Days of 47’ Rodeo.
The Leonardo Museum, located in downtown Salt Lake City, provides us with a build space in exchange for assistance with their educational programs. Over the past several years we have deepened our relationships with sponsors, increasing consistency and getting to know the personnel who donate their time in the form of mentorship. We’ve tightened our ties with the Leonardo as we have found more opportunities to assist with their programs. Over the past five years, we have presented at their Makerspace events, legislature nights, and have even demonstrated weekly during build season. The Leonardo staff has become a part of our family. Some staff members even have team t-shirts! They often watch our regionals live at work, ready to cheer us on. After winning the Idaho regional they even baked us a cake! Last year the Leonardo had financial troubles, but even through these difficulties, they made it a priority to keep our build space open. We are indebted to our sponsors, and we continue to cultivate our relationships with them.
The Summit
With a planned route, a rope, a harness, anchors, and carabiniers, we can successfully make it to the summit. With our unique team, outreach, advocacy, and community, we cultivate enthusiasm for learning. Every climbing experience needs a lead climber. One who can plan the route, set anchors, and lead the way. 3230 “lead climbs” FIRST in Utah as one of the oldest FRC teams in the state. Our pioneering efforts have advanced science, engineering, and technology skills that foster innovation, self-confidence, leadership, and community. 3230 provides opportunities and networking essential to the development of FIRST in Utah and throughout the world. As we work and learn together we achieve our goals and spread our enjoyment of STEM widely and deeply. Care to climb with us? Bound together, we’re bound to go places.