Main fundraiser photo

Team Inspiration World Championship

When Coaches Alex and Jack asked this rookie robotics team to write down their FTC goal last summer, many of the teammates set their goals really HIGH.   Aside from learning about robotics,  programming, and promoting FIRST & STEM, they hoped to go to WORLDS.   We are grateful that our goals have reached fruition!!!! Team Inspiration has been invited to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston, Texas in April 2017.

Please support Team Inspiration in their robotics journey to go to the FTC World Championship.  We are raising funds of $7,600 to defray the partial costs of transportations, registration fee, accommodations, food, shipment of Robot Charlie & pit materials to Houston, and robotics material incurred during the season.

We welcome & appreciate corporate  sponsorships.

We appreciate and thank you for any donation.

Team Inspiration 

Please HELP SPREAD THE WORD!


About our team:

In the summer of 2016, ten bright students ranging from 7th to 12th grade formed the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge (FTC) Team Inspiration. With great guidance by the coaches, mentors, and the team captain, the team members  work hard to learn, to innovate, to share, and to inspire . Following SMART goals, the mechanical group built seven robots and dozen modular attachments to experiment, and settled on three competition robots. For each robot, the programming group develops customized Java programs on Android Studio, despite the risk of having to learn Java quickly.  Even though the rookie team ran into many challenges and problems, the team members worked tirelessly in many late nights to early morning hours (& holidays) and proficiently by using a systematic approach to identify and address root causes.  The team members’ troubleshooting skills were greatly improved.   With everyone’s dedication, Team Inspiration won the Finalist Alliance Trophy at each of the three San Diego FTC League Meets.

Inspiration Team:  (left to right)
Aditya, Madalyn, Raquel, Steven, Eric, Colin, Anu, Erin, Mabel, & Ivan (not in photo).


As the FIRST founder Mr. Dean Kamen said, “FIRST is more than robots.” The FTC Inspiration team members have done more than 30 outreach and community service events to motivate  1,000+ students to love and participate in STEM-related fields, encourage young students to form new robotic teams, inspire them to become leaders and innovators, and enhance their 21st century work-life skills. The highlight of these events was coaching FLL teams on STEM, robotics, and software skills and training their coaches to guide them.  Also, the most rewarding was many charity work performed by the team members.

Team Inspiration celebrated their achievements with eight Meadowbrook Middle School FLL (FIRST Lego League) robotics teams.

Volunteering and participating in FIRST has further enhanced the team members’ leadership and initiative skills, as evidenced  when the team captain Steven Chen was selected as the FTC Dean's List Award Finalist, and by the team winning the Judge’s Award at the FTC State/Regional Championship as well as the 2nd place of the Inspire Award, Think Award,  and the Finalist of the Motivate Award at the FTC League Championship.  All the while, Team Inspiration strived to embody the values of FIRST in Gracious ProfessionalismCoopertition® by helping competitiors during the competition events and weekend open house.


Measurable success as part of the goal planning

Our pit display at the League Championship



Demo at FRC State/Regional competition at Del Mar Fairground

Outreach at elementary school

Outreach demonstration at Festival of Science and Engineering at Petco Park

Robot inspection with Coach Alex & our innovative mechanical team prior to competition 


Ready for competition - our awesome captain Steven & drivers-Colin & Eric

FIRST Mission:
(F
or Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting Mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

FIRST Values:  
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.

In the long run, Gracious Professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing one has acted with integrity and sensitivity.

Coopertition®
Coopertition® produces innovation. At FIRST, Coopertition is displaying unqualified kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition. Coopertition is founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete.

Coopertition involves learning from teammates. It is teaching teammates. It is learning from Mentors. And it is managing and being managed. Coopertition means competing always, but assisting and enabling others when you can.


What  is FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)?
It’s way more than building robots. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (10+ members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format. Participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have!” Guided by adult Coaches and Mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles (like keeping an engineering notebook), while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and sharing ideas. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and can be programmed using a variety of languages, including Java. Teams also must raise funds, design and market their team brand, and do community outreach for which they can win awards. Participants have access to tens of millions of dollars in college scholarships. Each season concludes with Super-Regional Championships and an exciting FIRST Championship.

Corporate Sponsorship:
Please contact us via email.  We will show appreciation by promoting your company with sponsorship signage at our Pit at the FIRST World Championship.  The 2017 Championship will host up to 400 FRC (FIRST Robotic Competition)  teams, 128 FTC teams, 108 FLL (FIRST Lego League) teams and 60 FLL Jr. teams.  There will be over 65,000 attendees & volunteers.

For more info about 2017 FIRST World Championship:
https://www.firstchampionship.org/?__hstc=212927755.9fd6ea891b6615b7020946e1ddeb032c.1490230091020.1490289418805.1490370780728.4&__hssc=212927755.1.1490370780728&__hsfp=4214120547













Organizer and beneficiary

Tracy Nguyen
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Teresa To
Beneficiary

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