DEEP RUN HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS BOOSTER CLUB INC

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Team 1086 Blue Cheese is Deep Run High School’s robotics team and an active member of its local community. Each year, we spend six (6) weeks designing, building and programming a robot to play a unique FRC (First Robotics Competition) game. After the build season ends, the robots compete in a worldwide tournament of said game.

FIRST is about much more than these games, though: it’s also about the high-schoolers who play them. The process of building a robot provides ample opportunity for team members to learn useful technical skills. Some of the members first use advanced CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to model the robot and all of its constituent pieces in advance. Other students then manufacture those parts and put them together - actions that require mechanical competence and a basic understanding of power tools. Finally, a team of student programmers writes commands in Java for the robot to follow. These tasks require a level of aptitude that our rookies, aided by veteran members, soon learn to attain.

Besides working on the robot, the act of managing the team also teaches students certain abilities. A media team creates digital and physical products, including images, videos and merchandise, for advertising and fundraising. A Chairman’s team writes a speech about our team’s contributions to society, and other members volunteer in advance to present it during the competitions. A business lead analyzes the organizational and financial state of Blue Cheese and compiles his findings into a single business plan, which he then reviews and submits via a website form. A lone developer creates a mobile application that allows the other members to send information about other robots’ performances to a database, allowing the team to understand their opponents and select useful teammates for alliances. Even those not interested in building the robot can find a place to learn and grow in Blue Cheese.
Regardless of position on the team, all members have the chance to learn certain basic life skills. For example, FIRST teams learn to use “Gracious Professionalism” when interacting with other teams - that is, to always be civil, businesslike and helpful to those teams, even if they are in direct competition. This type of attitude translates exceptionally well to the business world, in which companies compete for limited consumer pools yet still remain professional at all times. Team members also learn how to communicate and work with team members both inside and outside of their divisions. If a business lead needs information about team demographics, for instance, he needs to contact the Chairman’s division at an appropriate time.

Established in 2002, Blue Cheese FRC Team 1086 has won nearly every award offered at the regional and district level of FRC, including Event Winner, Chairman’s, and Engineering Inspiration. The team was part of the World Championship-winning alliance in 2016 (the only Virginia team ever to have done so) and has captured the following other titles in last six years: Carver Winner, Galileo Finalist and subdivision winners of Coopertition, Imagery, and Spirit awards. In 2017 the team won the FedEx Innovation Challenge, an award that came with $5,000, enough to cover registration fees for district competition.

Our outreach programs are extensive and run year-round. We regularly partner with other nonprofits, like CodeVA and RVA Coder Dojo, to inspire young coders by bringing student and adult volunteers to staff camps and events. We regularly demonstrate in local schools and libraries in Henrico County and the City of Richmond. Last year we found a way to solve the problem of demo requests during school hours: Blue Cheese did a live Skype demo with students at an elementary school during their lunch hour. We weren’t sure how well the event would go, but the younger students were very enthusiastic and comfortable interacting live via the Web.  They loved the opportunity to ask questions and get responses in real time. We followed up with printed materials that we sent to their school. Blue Cheese also hosts a “Let Go Your LEGO” collection drive that collects donated LEGOs, places them in portable bags and delivers them to local charities, which then give them to children with uncertain housing situations. So far, we have sent the LEGOs to three local groups – Shepherd’s Way, Hanover Safe Place, and a math outreach program at Dumbarton Elementary. We also sent LEGO math kits and LEGO on the Go bags to Peru at the request of one of our mentors, who was traveling there to do volunteer work through Bon Secours. We plan to expand the program to include non-English speaking households.

Our students prepare and present at FLL, FTC and FRC workshops to share their expertise with robotics students of all ages. This year the team gave talks on Safety, Drivetrains, and Chairman’s to teams from all over Virginia. They presented at both Central and Northern Virginia FRC workshops. The Lego robotics camps staffed by Blue Cheese and MechTech Dragons (FRC 422) students and mentors are “sold out” each summer.

As an established, mature team, we are lucky enough to have been able to create a pipeline of mentors in the form of alumni that return to work with our team. You will also see our alumni working with other teams, including FRC 401 and FRC 422. Blue Cheese is always on the hunt for new community volunteers during public events and when we make sponsorship contact. Our newest community sponsors who have offered mentor assistance are Lutron Electronics and Curbell Plastics, both located in Ashland, VA, near our build site.

Our students and mentors are constantly learning and are excited to share their experiences and our stories. Our blog and social media accounts reflect that enthusiasm and the puns and good humor our team is known for. We strive to be as available as possible to other teams and the community at large to build and improve STEM programs and access to them for all children.