4/11/2017 FIRST Robotics Competition ­ Chairman's Award ­ Team 3847

Chairman's Award ­ Team 3847 Print Close 2017 ­ Team 3847

Team Number 3847 Team Name, Corporate/University Sponsors NRG/Texas Workforce Commission/Solarcraft, Inc/FIRST in Texas/ExxonMobil/International Society of Automation, Houston Chapter/Star Precision Fabricating/Royalty Metal Finishing/DS Solidworks&St Agnes Academy School&Strake Jesuit College Prep School Briefly describe the impact of the FIRST program on team participants with special emphasis on the 2016/2017 year and the preceding two to five years Spectrum resulted from the cooperation of two rival robotics teams, the men of Strake Jesuit and women of St. Agnes. Our rigorous year­round schedule of competitions, hosting events, volunteering, and team bonding develops technical expertise, confidence, leadership, altruism, and passion. These converge to enable our students to surmount obstacles in the way of realizing their aspirations. Our 50 alumni are balanced male/female, and 100% attend university with 96% going into STEM fields. Describe the impact of the FIRST program on your community with special emphasis on the 2016/2017 year and the preceding two to five years

We have established ourselves as an integral part of our community, earning the support of our school boards and becoming a major draw for applicants. Our activities are featured in local and statewide media. We host events like Mentor for a Day, which introduces students to STEM professionals. We established a maker faire to the school's Spring Fling scholarship fundraiser. We have pushed for new STEM curriculum, introducing programming at St. Agnes and bringing robotics to computer courses.

Team's innovative or creative method to spread the FIRST message We spread FIRST with PRISM: Presentations, Relationships, Inspiration, Social Media, and Mentoring. Spectrum presents at local events like Comicpalooza and Maker Faire. We build relationships with sponsors and STEM partners. We inspire underserved groups with free STEM camps and we Make it Loud on social media with over 160,000 video views, 25,000 photos, 8,000 tweets, & 3,000 total followers. We promote mentoring with TX FRC Mentor Workshops, Mentor for a Day, and How I Work blog articles.

Describe examples of how your team members act as role models and inspire other FIRST team members to emulate

Our team members have volunteered at 68 robotics events including FLL, FTC, FRC, and other programs. Our service as volunteers, judges, referees, queuers, inspectors, and field staff is instrumental at kickoffs, regionals, and offseason events statewide. Our students provide audio and visual services to every Texas and Louisiana offseason event, and several regionals. Our live broadcasts and video archives make events available for teams to share with family and friends.

Describe the team's initiatives to help start or form other FRC teams We publish Illuminations, an annual guide of references, lingo, FAQs, and practical knowledge to lower the barrier of entry into FRC. Our annual Mock Kickoff features a simulated game reveal to teach the engineering design process, and presentations by local mentors equip potential teams with best practices to solidify their foundation (300+ attendees from 26 FRC teams to date). We offer Pre­Rookie teams free registration to our annual offseason event, the Texas Robotics Invitational (TRI). Describe the team's initiatives to help start or form other FIRST teams (including Jr.FLL, FLL, & FTC)

Spectrum supports the growth of all FIRST programs. We host the only FLL Jr. and FLL Kickoffs in southeast Texas, educating rookie mentors every year. The annual Spectrum FLL Qualifier began in 2014 to allow 24 more FLL teams to compete. We facilitated the 2016 SE TX FLL partner transition by storing equipment and coordinating with the new partner, allowing our area to stay an official region and continue to grow. At demos, we pass out pamphlets and inform thousands about FIRST programs. Describe the team's initiatives on assisting other FIRST teams (including Jr.FLL, FLL, FTC, & FRC) with progressing through the FIRST program Spectrum has held 21 robot build days to help young teams design, prototype, and build their robots. We share our experience worldwide using our Build Blog, which has over 160,000 views and openly chronicles our designs, build process, and system tests. The blog promotes openness in the community and gives rookies insight into how a veteran https://my.usfirst.org/frc/ca/site.lasso?r=0916912&fuseaction=ca.print_submission&sid=13067&pid=523339 1/4 4/11/2017 FIRST Robotics Competition ­ Chairman's Award ­ Team 3847 team operates. This year we have been featured weekly on "check_in", a live broadcast that provides a peek into the FRC build season to help guide teams. Describe how your team works with other FIRST teams to serve as mentors to younger or less experienced FIRST teams (includes Jr.FLL, FLL, FTC, & FRC teams) We partner with veteran teams to be stewards of FIRST's principles and mentors for younger teams. At our annual Mock Kickoff and TRI we run and host workshops by local mentors from teams like FRC#118, 1296, 2587 and 3735. Our bi­annual mentor workshop held with FRC#1477 has shared the knowledge of our experienced mentors with 57 rookie mentors. Looking globally, we traveled to China with FRC#118 and 2468 to help several pre­rookie teams prepare for an offseason event and train future volunteers. Describe your Corporate/University Sponsors Solarcraft Inc produces solar continuous power systems. NRG Energy is a national integrated power company. ExxonMobil, a global oil and gas corporation, supports our team with employee volunteer grants. The Texas Workforce Commission is a supporter of FRC teams across the state. The Fleming Endowment is a Houston nonprofit that supports education. The International Society of Automation (ISA) Houston Chapter organizes conferences and training programs for engineers and automation professionals. Describe the strength of your partnership with your sponsors with special emphasis on the 2016/2017 year and the preceding two to five years ExxonMobil is a founding sponsor; we have joined them at the Texas Bowl college football game twice. Their employees have volunteered at TRI and our FLL Qualifier. Solarcraft cuts, bends, and powder coats our sheet metal parts; they have given shop tours and a summer internship. For 4 years our robots have been featured at multiple ISA events. This year NRG sponsored four teams to build football playing robots for the NRG FIRST Football Showcase with the Houston Texans. Describe how your team would explain what FIRST is to someone who has never heard of it

FIRST is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating science, technology, engineering, & math through challenging K­12 robotics competitions. FIRST seeks to inspire future leaders by establishing mentor­based programs where they can develop not only their technical skills, but also qualities such as communication, diligence, and leadership through mentorship and outreach. FIRST is changing the culture, imbuing a new generation with a passion for STEM. Briefly describe other matters of interest to the FIRST judges, if any

Spectrum has championed the cause of hunger in our community. Volunteering at food banks, food distributions, and urban gardens in Houston's impoverished Fifth Ward, our members gain exposure to the hardship and inequality in our community. Instilled with a sense of service, each year we use the skills we learn in FRC to design & build award winning sculptures made of canned goods for Houston's CANstruction. Spectrum's participation over 5 years has donated 15,000+ cans to the Houston Food Bank.

Team Captain/Student Representative that has double­checked this submission. Will Smith

Essay In 2011, the two rival robotics teams from Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and St. Agnes Academy collaborated to create Spectrum. After competing separately in the BEST Robotics Competition for three years, the teams sought a more demanding challenge and discovered the varsity sport for the mind, The FIRST Robotics Competition. Founding team members worked with both schools' administrations to secure a build space, identify sponsors, and establish an FRC team. After our second FRC season, we consolidated the programs at each school into one yearlong unified engineering program. Over the past six years, we've grown from 15 members to over 50. The union of these two clubs was a pivotal moment in our history that characterizes our team as willing and able to overcome any obstacle by applying the diverse talents of our members.

We develop our students' expertise in a challenging and diverse atmosphere to prepare them to live out FIRST's mission. We cultivate a diverse student population through active recruitment from both schools. Team building activities like ice skating and movie nights build relationships between experienced students and beginners, encouraging members to work together with confidence. Mentors provide multiple workshops and training sessions, teaching members how to use CAD programs, manipulate machinery, and perform many other essential skills. The social and technical knowledge students gain from the team lay a foundation for college and future careers.

We have chosen to champion the problem of hunger in our local community where one in four children is at risk of hunger. Spectrum volunteers at the Houston Food Bank, sorting donations and building hunger care packages. In an effort to raise local awareness, the team annually participates in CANstruction, competing against architecture and engineering firms to build sculptures out of canned goods. We spend three months designing the layout in CAD before the build day. Spectrum's participation has secured 15,000+ cans for the Houston Food Bank over the past five years and we have won the "Best High School" award twice. https://my.usfirst.org/frc/ca/site.lasso?r=0916912&fuseaction=ca.print_submission&sid=13067&pid=523339 2/4 4/11/2017 FIRST Robotics Competition ­ Chairman's Award ­ Team 3847

Spectrum actively shares our experiences and presents our knowledge across many platforms. We are one of the most active teams on social media with over 8,000 tweets, more than any other team. Taking time each year to show our gratitude for all of FIRST's global sponsors, we organize Project Thank­You which reaches out to each organization over twitter. Our YouTube channel, with over 200 days of cumulative viewership, improves the accessibility of highlights of our build process, livestreams and archives of robot competitions, and workshop presentations. We compete in and host events which have been featured in local news outlets; this year we were invited to discuss one of our robots on local CBS­affiliate KHOU. We catalog and share over 25,000 photos of events, robots, and our team as a resource for other FIRST teams. Dedicated to lending our experience to the FIRST community, our nightly build blog documents our entire season including strategy, prototypes, and final designs supplemented by weekly 3D model releases. In addition to spreading enthusiasm for STEM, our media efforts present a model of a team deeply committed to FIRST's values.

We celebrate STEM professionals and advocate for the pursuit of careers in STEM fields. For our "How I Work" articles, we have interviewed 31 mentors from around FIRST to bring their stories and experiences to students on every team. "How I Work" is a prime feature on our blog, drawing 36,000 views and downloads over the last 4 seasons. Started in 2012, "Mentor for a Day" presentations have introduced students to 20 STEM professionals. This year Ellen Stuchly, a graduate of St. Agnes Academy and Petroleum Geologist, presented her work on projects around the world. Another alumna, Katie Strauser, returned to speak with us about her job developing control systems for exoskeletons at Ekso Bionics.

Spectrum has provided our school community with many opportunities in the area of STEM. As part of a new STEM facility, we upgraded to a dedicated build space in 2014 that has made our program accessible to more students. FIRST has become a major draw for prospective students and we are now prominently featured during Open House, admissions tours, and public events. Our school administrations promote us in their publications and press releases. For Strake Jesuit's yearly scholarship fundraiser, Spring Fling, the team is organizing a Maker Faire component with 24 STEM activities to give our larger school community hands on exposure to engineering.

We passionately share our interest in STEM and conveys the message of FIRST to our local community. For the last three years we have gathered local teams and have provided a full FRC field to organize the FIRST exposition at Comicpalooza, the largest annual fantasy convention in the southern United States. This event has enabled us to share FIRST with over 120,000 people over 12 total days. We have been representing FIRST at the Houston Mini Maker Faire every year since 2013, promoting FIRST and STEM to over 11,000 attendees. For two years, we have joined other Texas FRC teams at FIRST Pitch, a demonstration to over 34,000 people at a Houston Astros home game. For three years Spectrum has promoted STEM at the country's largest Sally Ride Science Festival held at Rice University, sharing science and engineering with over 1,000 middle school girls, parents, and teachers. Spectrum was invited to the Rockwell Automation Fair by FIRST HQ to showcase our robot alongside FIRST president Don Bossi to over 10,000 industry professionals. This year FIRST HQ invited us to the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition, spreading the message of FIRST to over 2,500 astronauts, executives, and engineers.

Essay ­ page 2

For the last five years the members of Spectrum have partnered with other organizations to provide free robotics courses to underserved populations. Since 2012 our students have designed and implemented a curriculum for SPECTaculaR, a summer robotics program at the Spring Branch Boys and Girls Club that teaches engineering principles to children in the third to eighth grades. To encourage young girls' interest in STEM activities, we partner with the American Heritage Girls, the GEMS Camp, "Be the Change" camp, and Girls Inc., holding workshops and sharing our robots with thousands of young girls.

Over the past five years we have volunteered at 68 FRC, FLL, FLL Jr., FTC, BEST, and VEX events, filling volunteer positions from refereeing to field reset to audio & visual. We host the only FLL and FLL Jr. kickoffs in Southeast Texas, and one of the most popular FLL Qualifiers in our region. Our team promotes year­long engagement in FRC by supporting Texas offseason events. In 2016 we worked with FIRST to acquire a full field and electronics for use at Texas offseason events, saving thousands of dollars for each event. To help teams share their experiences, Spectrum has provided live streaming and video archival services to 15 Texas and Louisiana regional and off­season events since 2014. With our own offseason event started in 2014, the Texas Robotics Invitational (TRI), we provide an opportunity for rookie teams to take part by waving their entrance fees and connecting them with veteran teams.

Spectrum aims to help new FRC teams by acting as a model of a sustainable, competitive organization. Our business planning has won two Regional Entrepreneurship Awards, a Dell "Leaving Your Legacy" Finalist Award, and has been highlighted by FIRST HQ as part of their Fundraising Toolkit. In the 2015 season, Spectrum helped FRC#5414 assisted Pearadox by providing parts, advice through phone calls, and assistance with finding sponsors to allow them to become a sustainable team during their rookie year. This season, Spectrum is mentoring FRC#6547 from Magnolia, TX and FRC#6645 from Crosby, TX by providing batteries, example robots, and spare parts to start them off on their rookie year. Our annual Mock Kickoff, started in 2012, features a simulated game reveal to teach the engineering design process, and presentations by local mentors equip potential teams with best practices to solidify their foundation (300+ attendees from 26 FRC teams to date). We compose "Illuminations", a guide to help rookie teams that includes useful hints, references, and terms that we distribute at our Mock Kickoff and publish on our website. Spectrum hosts Mentor Workshops with FRC#1477 where our mentors share helpful tips, build designs, and experience to aid new FIRST mentors. Starting in 2015 we have hosted local Houston Alumni participating in the "Robot in 3 Days" challenge. This event provides an example of an accelerated FRC build season as a resource for inexperienced https://my.usfirst.org/frc/ca/site.lasso?r=0916912&fuseaction=ca.print_submission&sid=13067&pid=523339 3/4 4/11/2017 FIRST Robotics Competition ­ Chairman's Award ­ Team 3847 teams.

We were invited to mentor and compete with Chinese students from 15 pre­rookie teams at the China Robotics Challenge with FRC# 118 and 2468 during the summer of 2015. We mentored students from the Suzhou Foreign Language School and, despite the significant language barrier, assisted them in building a robot for Recycle Rush and supported them during their first FRC event. This experience introduced us to the potential impact of FIRST on students around the globe.

A student's perception of FIRST and STEM is directly shaped by their experiences at competition, so we have focused our time on providing them the best experience possible. Our involvement in TRI and numerous other local events aims to provide everyone with a positive impression of the FIRST community and its commitment to cooperation. We especially reach out to teams before they even get to competition, giving them insight through our build blog, workshops, and social media presence to support them in channelling their creativity into tangible success. All our efforts combine to encourage a culture of respect and excitement for STEM.

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