FIRST, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The program involves teams of mentors and high school students that collaborate to design and build a robot in six weeks. This robot is designed by the group to play a game that is designed by FIRST and changes from year to year. The game is announced at a world wide simulcast kickoff event in January. Regional competitions take place around the United States, Canada, Mexico and many other countries. FIRST has a multinational following that further includes the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Israel. For more information not covered in our website, visit FIRST.

FRC,(Full size Robots). Our team has built some award winning, competitive robots that have ranked high, many times. We are proud of our student built robots and continue to strive to have our students build as much of the robot as possible. We accept high school students from our area and any school in our area including home schooled students, as long as they follow our rules of safety and respect of others. Our students are able to fix almost anything and are more than willing to help other teams in need. The game is competitive and even though winning is fun, learning and helping others is more important.

We build the robot in the garage of the mentors, Joe and Kim, and you would think that would not be a good place to build a robot, but compared to some schools that don't even have a place to build a robot, their garage is great. The garage is finished, painted, heated and well lighted. They have a metal lathe, band saw, drill presses, table saw, welder, hand tools of all types and cordless drills. We have machined all parts of the robot in the garage and rarely have to send it out. This cuts down on the build time and also allows the students to see and work on all aspects of the build. Their also is a carpet that can be rolled out to test the robot with.  

  In 2011 Our team helped start and mentor new FRC teams. One in Hartland High school called the Electro Eagles Team 3536 and one in Linden High School called the RoboEagles team 3568. We visited both teams every week during build and was available to answer questions at any time through email and telephone. We loaned out CIM motors, 8 inch skyway wheels, and our programmer to them. We showed them how to build their bumpers, and gave them suggestions to help them with the build. We also took our robot to each of the schools for demonstrations to help them with acquiring new students.

In 2008 Our team helped mentor the team 2145, Lake Fenton HAZMAT: With our information they were able to receive funding from the State of Michigan and then they received additional funding from a sponsor that they acquired. We took our team and robot to their school and gave a demonstration. We also discussed items that they would need to know during the build of the robot. There were even times our group stopped by their school to assist with their build and answer any questions they had. We offered use of our work shop and donated items for their use on the robot. Our mentors even traveled, (at their own expense), to their teams first event to help them through the inspection period. During their competition they also helped with tips on strategy and teamwork.

  When school started later that year, their robot was in pieces and needed to be rebuilt for a local competition that they had entered. With only a few day's left to rebuild, they brought their robot to our work shop and we were able to help them completely rebuild their robot, just in time for competition at the Kettering Event. We installed our pneumatics in their robot, they where unaware that they were suppose to order the cylinders during the original build.  

 Other items our team helped with was the formation of the MMRA Mid-Michigan Robotics Alliance. We thought that if a group of teams could get together, they could help each other and also help make the community better. We also found that local sponsors were more willing to give money to a large group of teams rather than a single team. The MMRA helps put on the Kettering University off season event "Kettering Kick-Off", the Lego practice event, the Lego Fever event, and the State Championship Lego event. We assist Kettering University with the season Kick-Off by selling food and helping to set up the competition field. The MMRA is looking forward to help with more events in the future and to help with other community events.