FIRST Tech Challenge Season #1

Learning about the Engineering Lifecycle.

After three years involvement with the FLL program, we are moving up the ladder to FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge). This is a program for kids in about the 7th grade through 12th grades. It's a completely different animal. I'm not coaching this year, but I get a great view of all the action since I'm there a lot. The boys (yes, this year all boys) are really young engineers in training. They have more responsibilities and maturity. We started out our first meeting with the Engineering Lifecycle. Whew! It was great having one of the coaches as a systems engineer. If the boys don't win anything this season, it will have been worth it for them to learn what engineers do in the real world.

So having a brand new team requires money. Everything from buying a robot to shirts to program software. We are trying to raise $4,000 this year. The boys are doing a camp to advertise the FIRST programs, raise some money and work with kids who are interested in LEGOs and robotics. They will be at the Briargate YMCA leading 3 different stations for kids to get their hands on some cool LEGO technologies. Theses are not your typical LEGO sets found in the stores. They'll be working with LEGO WeDo, LEGO Simple Machines and Mechanisms and Mindstorms Robotics.

FINALLY... If you work for or know of a company that donates to STEM education, please contact us. We QUALIFY for 501(C)3 nonprofit donations.

Camp Info

When: Saturday September 14, 2013

When: 9am - 12noon or 1pm-4pm

Where: Briargate YMCA

How Much: $30 in advance or $35 at the door

Contact for Questions: Esther Lee (719) 271-2120 or ftc7104@gmail.com

Please come out and support our team! 

Download flyer.

Download registration form.