FIRST's Effect On Team 1276

FIRST represents For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The program has encouraged our high school students to develop their interests and test their skills in pneumatics, mechanical, electrical, control systems, public relations, fundraising, and promote safety in handling equipment and machines. Our devoted mentors and volunteers add to the team experience providing expertise in engineering, machining, computer programming and technology. At the competitions our students practice gracious professionalism leaving each competition with a sense of accomplishment and gratification of a job well done, regardless of any team awards.

FIRST has inspired Team 1276 to continuously grow and improve, a true Kaizen Blitz, from building a robot in the first year with eleven students, to fifteen this year. With the addition of students, mentors and parents we have focused on building a robot, developing a team website, entering the Chairman’s Award, and spreading the word about the exciting experience of FIRST by reaching out into the local community. In October at the Northern Maine FIRST Lego League Competition, the robot and team demonstrated skills in “Aiming High”. Many students, parents and volunteers were excited to see the “next step” in robot building. Students and robot are scheduled this season for demos at local civic organizations. This year the team held bottle drives for fundraising. While working, students shared the experience of FIRST with our employers. Our sponsorship has increased this year with the help of recognition from newspapers articles, demos and the excitement spread from students to students and parents to parents.

Our vocational school sponsor has been inspired by the team’s FIRST participation and their support continues to grow with the team. In our second year they devoted an area of the school to the team, providing use of shop tools and safety classes. Once again this year they have continued their support with a substantial financial donation as well as expanding their support by purchasing tools, providing more safety classes, offering training to students and mentors in welding, machining, utilizing the CNC and Plasma CAM machines along with use of a mill and lathe, and offering a Pre-Engineering program as part of their curriculum to four area high schools. This new curriculum encourages students to expand their new knowledge and become part of the Kaizen Blitz team.

The experience of FIRST has a far reaching impact by encouraging graduating team seniors to pursue college degrees in Mechanical Engineering at WPI, Computer Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering at University of Maine- Orono and Pharmaceuticals at RI. FIRST has forever impacted the lives of the team and opened a door of opportunity for them to excel in their day to day life, as a team at the regional competitions and in the future with their careers. With them they bring the mantra of gracious professionalism. They have learned that gracious professionalism more than just behavior at a robotic competition; it is a definition for a successful life and career.