New Community Outreach Programs
BTW/HSEP Alternative Energy Lab
A ground-breaking alternative energy Science Initiative is starting this year at HSEP. Students will create fuel from cafeteria scraps to power their own science lab, a generator, and a model plane using a patented process, thanks to a program that launched in the fall of 2009. Lead by Dr. Nghia Le, students participate in the new frontier of efficient alternative energy and technology.
Team 57 pitched in to create a home base for this new initiative. In June 2009, Team 57 students, mentors and parents transformed the old autoshop into a new alternative energy lab. Students spent 80 hrs each of community service time removing old equipment and furniture, cleaning the shop and classroom, and installing new equipment and furniture. Parents and mentors pitched in to get furniture donated, rehab worktables, build partitions for workstations and decorating the lab.
The students from the team were among the first to conduct experiments in the new lab, making wind powered generators and breaking down food into biofuel. The students were honored at a luncheon by principal Bedell for their hard work. A formal dedication will take place in the spring.
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School Community Room
In 2009 Team 57 representatives met with the school administration tosee if a classroom could be converted into a meeting room. The plan was to have a room where invited guests could gather, faculty could hold meetings, and student accomplishments can be put on display for the whole school. This meeting was the beginning of a wonderful new asset for the school: the community room.
Team 57 students cleaned up the classroom, mentors contacted businesses for donations of furniture, and the school contributed memorabilia from years past. The new room was completed and opened for use in January of 2009.
Ongoing Outreach Programs
Tools For Teams
Team 57 has supported several fellow FIRST teams through Team Adoption and its Tools for Teams program. These programs help mentor fledgling teams and provide them with the tools they need to compete. The programs were developed out of Team 57's experience and partnership with Brazilian Heitortec Team 1772.
In the 2007 Lone Star Regional in Houston, Texas, Team 57 had a unique neighbor in the pit area. Heitortec, Team 1772, was a rookie team from the first Brazilian public high school to participate in a FIRST Robotics Competition. Throughout the competition, their team members continuously asked to borrow tools and we happily helped them. We even became partners with Heitortec in the final rounds at the regional event. After the regional, Team 57 stayed in touch in the off season as email pen pals. When Team 1772 came to the 2008 Houston regional, Team 57 assisted them with accommodations, transportation, and food.
Team 57 also adopted Bellaire High School, Team 2585. During the fall of 2007, Team 57 provided tools, advice on grant applications, and connections to ARC Specialties - a source for mentors and machine shop workspace.
Both of these teams were an inspiration to Team 57. As a result Team 57 expanded its Team Adoption and Tools for Teams programs and sponsred 5 teams with tools in 2009. In 2010 Team 57 will implement a tool safety award program.
KIVA Organization
In 2008 Team 57 participated in an organization known as KIVA. KIVA is an organization that provides personal loans to low income entrepreneurs in developing countries. It helps the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Team 57 supports the ambitions of these families and entrepreneurs to take a small investment and transform it into a self-sustaining business. From loans of as little as $25 an entrepreneur is able to purchase the necessities they need to begin a business, for instance livestock or machines. By doing this, KIVA is empowering many families to get their lives out of poverty and offering them an opportunity to achieve their goals.
To raise money for this program Team 57 did an aluminum can drive. The cans were collected from our corporate sponsors, home, and work places. The money received from the can drive sponsored 2 families located in Cambodia and Vietnam. With the repaid loans from the first 2 families, Team 57 sponsored an additional 2 families in 2009. This program allows for Team 57 to make a positive difference on planet Earth but also "pays it forward" through the sponsorship of more families in underserved countries.
Special Education Partnership
Team 57 began their partnership with the Special Education program at Booker T. Washington/High School for Engineering Professions (HSEP) in 2003. Team 57 students met with the special education students on a weekly basis to do interactive Lego Bot projects. This 5 year collaboration has been a rewarding and experience for both Team 57 and special education students.
In 2009, Team 57 grew this partnership by involving HSEP engineering clubs to provide the students and teachers with school supplies, Halloween gift bags, a Thanksgiving luncheon and even a visit from Santa. Team 57 will continue successes from previous years with monthly projects for the special education students.
Ongoing/New Program Summary
With these and other programs, Team 57 continues to make a difference in the community through its team motto of "giving back". In the 2010 season, the team will continue its long established programs such as:
- Toys for Tots
- Operation School Supply
- Adopt A Marine Platoon
- Kennedy Summer Engineering Camp
- Middle School Engineering Camp
- Lego League Team Mentorship
- Volunteering at robotics competitions (including the FIRST kickoff/regional)
- FIRST robotics community demos program
The team values the positive experiences team members receive from participating in these programs.
Since Team 57 is an established team, it is always looking for new opportunities to make a difference in the community. This year the team is focusing on improving its school community and making a difference in the local community. In addition to the programs listed above, Team 57 has come out to serve its community by:
- Cleaning up after Hurricane Ike
- Adopting a local nursing home
- Working with graduates to form an engineering alumni association
- Performing demos for the school board
- Recruiting teams for FIRST
- Assisting with workshops for rookie teams
- Recycling used office supplies
- Mentoring FIRST teams
The team is very proud of its impact on the local, national, and international community. By continuing to give back, the team hopes to spread its enthusiasm and success across the globe.