FIRST Outreach

2024 FRC Kickoff

We hosted an FRC kickoff event at our Innovate Albion Hub for local FRC teams to come to in order to view the livestream. Four teams made it to the event. Before the livestream, we did ice breakers and team building games in order to get to know the other people there. After watching the livestream, we strategized together over the most effective ways of scoring as well as potential robot designs. 

Blue Goggles Mentoring

The Blue Goggles started as an FLL team that the NerdSpark took under their wing. With much mentoring and guidance from NerdSpark, the Blue Goggles FLL team accelerated and earned a ticket to Worlds! NerdSpark continued to advance this rookie Blue Goggles FTC team by continuing CAD summer classes and further mentoring on both the leadership and robot side. Remarkably the Blue Goggles achieved not only the Inspire Award at Qualifications, but they also lead the winning alliance to win at States advancing them again to Worlds for a second year in a row. This is truly a testament as to how NerdSpark has been able to advance rookie teams to accomplish so much in such an accelerated manner. Blue Goggles stands as a shining example of success through mentorship, perseverance and the real FIRST values.

Bumper Clinic

We invited teams in the area to bring their robot. We used their robot dimensions to help them build bumpers specifically made for their robot. We had a heat press so that we could get their teams' numbers on the fabric, and then wrapped and stapled the fabric around their bumpers.