Pascack Pi-oneers [Team 1676]

Related: Watch what the Judges had to say!

Click HERE to Download a printable copy of our Chairman’s Award Submission

2008 Submission:

“To listen is to learn, to understand is to inspire.” This proverb encompasses all
aspects of Team 1676 – The Pascack Pi-oneers. During their first few seasons, the Pioneers
watched and learned from the best in the country; through continual growth, they
have learned what FIRST is about. Now in their fourth season, Team 1676 understands
that FIRST isn’t about building a robot, or winning the competition – it’s about the
appreciation of engineering and technology and about being inspired by engineers.
FIRST is about being mentored and actively mentoring others, thereby fostering a love of
engineering to be passed on. FIRST is about teaching students to become leaders, and
creating partnerships between students, teachers, engineers, corporations, parents, and
other FIRST teams. It’s about sharing resources and knowledge with others, so that
everyone has an equal and fair opportunity to succeed both in and out of the competition.
But the best leadership is accomplished by example, and that is exactly what Team 1676
attempts to do.

During their rookie season in 2005, Team 1676 received crucial mentorship from
Teams 11, 25 and 1302; the Pi-oneers now give this assistance back to the FIRST
community. Team 1676 started and continues to mentor three FLL teams at three local
middle schools, one FTC team in the high school, and helps FRC Team 2695 from Jersey
City, New Jersey. The Pi-oneers have created a path for students to follow throughout
middle school and into high school. In middle school, at the start of their journey, the
FLL teams are mentored by FRC members and are immersed in engineering. Once in
high school, they join the FTC team where they continue their education under the
mentorship of former FTC members and eventually move into FRC via Pi-Tech
Academy.

Pi-Tech Academy is composed of pre-season information sessions where students
can learn more about the parts of FIRST that interest them. At this point, they are fullfledged
members of the FRC component of the Pi-oneers and can mentor FLL and FTC.
In this phase, students are taught leadership and teamwork qualities.

The Pi-oneers also offer a helping hand to any other teams in need. At the 2005
NJ Regional, Team 1676 won Rookie All-Star partially due to the aid provided to another
rookie team. During the 2008 season, they mentored Team 2695 by loaning them an old
robot for practice, visiting to help with mechanical issues, inviting them to see how the
Pi-oneers’ meetings are run, and answering questions through daily phone calls and
emails. The Pi-oneers tried to teach them not to bite off more than they could chew, a
concept that took the Pi-oneers a few years to learn. They have also helped numerous
teams at regionals by assembling, re-building, re-wiring, and programming robots.
Team 1676 also lends parts and loans tools to other teams.

Within the FIRST community, the Pi-oneers embody gracious professionalism. In
2008, the team was in charge of three workshops and kit distribution at the NJIT Kickoff,
hosted a pre-regional practice match for local teams, and assisted in field assembly and
disassembly at the NJ Regional. New this year, the Pi-oneers have supplied each team
participating in the NJ Regional with a student-designed “Quick Start” guide to Autodesk
Inventor. These easy-to-follow tutorials were mailed out to teams during the build season,
and the Pi-oneers, upon mailing the guides, were met with a high demand for more
copies. Additionally, at every regional they attend, Team 1676 establishes a local
wireless intranet scouting database. This database allows other teams to view and analyze
scouting data that has been compiled match-by-match by Pi-oneer team members in the
stands. In October of 2008, Team 1676 will be hosting a new off-season event called
Pascack Panda-monium. This event will bring off-season excitement closer to teams in
and around Northern New Jersey.

On the home front, Pi-oneer community service is four-fold. In 2007, the team
helped local flood victims clear their houses and properties of water and debris, and
dedicated a day to mark storm drains with decals that advised against dumping. In the
summers of 2006 and 2007, the Pi-oneers mentored Girl Scouts in two countywide
technology programs, Girls Go Robotic and Girls Take Flight. During these weeklong
programs, the Pi-oneers helped teach girls about engineering, technology, and FIRST. In
each program, one day was set aside for a team demonstration of the robot. The Pi-oneers
are always trying to recruit more women to the engineering profession, and the FRC team
has grown to be 20% female as a result. Additionally, a generous gift to the team allows
the Pi-oneers to annually award two $250.00 scholarships to graduating team members as
well as a 50% scholarship to a rising junior to attend a robotics summer program at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute. These funds, independent from the build budget, will
nearly replenish themselves each year through the interest accrued while in the bank.

Spreading the FIRST message throughout the community is something in which
the Pi-oneers take pride. Every year, the Pi-oneers are offered a booth at eighth grade
orientation, Back-to-School Night, and town events such as Montvale Day in the Park
and Hillsdale Day. The school district has also requested that the robot make appearances
at the annual fashion show, where the robot is driven down the runway, and pep rallies,
where the robot is demonstrated on the track. Also annually, the Pi-oneers make a
presentation at NJTEA (New Jersey Technology Education Association) meetings. At
these meetings, FIRST is explained to faculty members who have never heard of the
organization while the robot is exhibited. Additionally, in 2006 the Pi-oneers brought
their robot to NextFest, a technology convention, where they introduced younger students
to FIRST through simulations of regional matches. No matter what the occasion, the Pioneers
are met with smiling faces, enthusiasm, and gasps of delight when they present
their robot to the public. Through the Pi-oneers’s outreach, “FIRST fever” has spread like
wildfire throughout the community, and people are inspired to get involved.

This enthusiasm translates into strong partnerships between the Pi-oneers and their district, parents, sponsors, mentors, and team members. The administrators and Board of Education of the district are some of Team 1676’s biggest supporters and fans.
The superintendent has never missed a NJ Regional and promotes the team and the
benefits of FIRST to other school districts. Last year, the district began financially
supporting Team 1676 in addition to already supporting it in other ways. Throughout the
build season, the district allows the Pi-oneers to stay late into the night, long after
everyone else has left the building; they even allow the team to meet on Sundays. The
custodians have observed the team over the past four years and have exhibited
enthusiasm during the build and interest in the team’s accomplishments. Visits from the
custodians and other teachers are not uncommon. The Guidance Department has also
been inspired by the Pi-oneers. Due to Team 1676’s support, the district now tracks
career interest in engineering among graduates, and last year it was found that 15% of the
graduating class pursued engineering majors – above the national average of 6%, as
reported by ACT News. The Pi-oneers have helped transform their district by introducing
the engineering classes to Autodesk Inventor, which is now used to teach 3D computer
design.

The Pi-oneers’ accomplishments would not have been possible without support
from their corporate sponsors. In 2005, Mercedes-Benz helped start the team with a
generous donation. Since then, the Pi-oneers have made connections with fifteen other
companies, such as KPMG and Dassault Falcon Jet. Annually, the Pi-oneers honor their
sponsors with Sponsor Appreciation Night, where team members make speeches, give
demonstrations of the robot, and present sponsors with tokens of thanks. On this night,
sponsors get the chance see all of the team’s accomplishments. The sponsors even get to
drive the robot, which they are always excited about. The Pi-oneers also interact with
their sponsors during company visits, where invitations to build season meetings and the
NJ Regional are extended.

Just like any family, the Pi-oneers rely on parental support. Always willing to
donate time, money, and home-cooked meals, the Pi-Parents are integral to the team’s
success. The nightly meals allow the team to work late without going hungry, while
providing a venue for team bonding; during dinner, the Pi-oneers frequently play games
and challenge each other with mental puzzles. They have also held team touch football
games to relieve some of the stress of the intense build season. A game simulation upon
the return from Kickoff is another team building experience. This simulation requires
members of the team to pretend to be robots or field elements, and is widely enjoyed by
all. At the end of the season, the team has a barbeque where they honor the seniors, and
hand out humorous mentor-created medals.

The Pi-oneers wouldn’t be where they are now if not for the dedication of their
engineers, parents, teachers, and returning team alumni. 60% of the team graduates have
gone on to major in the engineering and technology fields, a number no doubt influenced
by these inspirational people. Don Rotolo, our Woodie Flowers nominee, has especially
aided the Pi-oneers with his breadth of engineering knowledge. The fact that several
alumni have returned each year to become mentors shows how the Pi-oneers have built
an environment that nurtures passion in engineering.

It has taken the Pi-oneers four years of listening to fully understand what FIRST
is about. This understanding translates to, and will continue to translate to, inspiration.
The Pi-oneers have listened to learn, and now understand how to inspire.