OCCRA stands for the Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association, a group of 22 schools that formed a fall robotics league in 2000; this FIRST-type activity was designed to supplement the FIRST season with an educational and motivational team experience that takes place in traditional high school venues. The purpose is to raise an academic team to the same level of celebrity and recognition within the high school as sports teams. We give each team a kit of parts (drill motors, sprockets, chains, Innovation First Controllers...etc.) and 5 weeks to build a machine. (It sounds short, but the kit is a little simpler than a FIRST kit and teams keep their machines, so building can continue all season, which is about 9 weeks). We charge new teams $2,400 but returning teams only have to pay $200. The robots are all 100% student built, so they are not quite as elaborate as many FIRST robots, but they are just as exciting to watch! The competitions are held in local gyms and fieldhouses throughout the county, so gyms filled with cheering fans are not necessarily at an athletic event in Oakland County! We offer a "HOW-to" video and a series of workshops, so students are given a lot of guidance in their robot building; this is especially important as we expect to add some new teams this year as word of last year's success has gotten out. I anticipate about 25 to 30 teams this year. You can write me at
michael.mcintyre@oakland.k12.mi.us for more info.