[Jim McGeehin]

Yes, this is a great idea. Thanks for suggesting it, Andy.

The key points of Team #365 (DuPont Miracle Workerz) entry were...

* our team evolved from a 35-year old Engineering Explorer Post which was sponsored by DuPont. The goal of the Explorer Post was to provide information on engineering and engineering careers to local high school students. The program consisted of information sessions, local site tours, and hands-on engineering projects. Three years ago, we were approached to incorporate a FIRST robotics team into our program. FIRST exploded and basically took over the program, which is now a robotics club sponsored by DuPont.

* we are open to any high school student and have developed a team comprised of students from multiple high schools. Last year, our students came from 11 different high schools from three different states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland). This year, we had students from 8 schools from three different states and a home-schooled student who travels two hours one way to come to our meetings.

* we have an excellent relationship with our sponsoring organization, DuPont. We have integrated into the company significantly that we have attend the Company's key technology event (TechCon), are present for Take Our Daughters To Work Day, have a variety of internal presentations, and are working on a primer for starting DuPont-sponsored teams (due sometime next season).

* the Miracle Workerz have sponsored the only two FIRST Lego League teams in Delaware and we assisted a team in Pennsylvania this past season. Our team ran a rookie orientation event and team members actively assisted rookie teams as needed. Our team members ran a rookie FLL event in Delaware this past year, the first in the state.

* we have assisted Team #341 in the organization of their Ramp Riot event and, through these learnings, are going to inaugurate our own invitational event (to be named soon - send your suggestions) this October in Delaware.

* we have given demonstrations to many organizations, ranging from Tech Summit (a technology career event for all 9th graders in northern Delaware), many of our students' high schools, many local events, professional engineering society events (NSPE, Society of Women Engineers, etc.), and the government (Delaware State House, Pennsylvania State House, Science Day in Washington, D.C., etc.).

* we have communicated the FIRST message many times to our local community, which resulted in the initiation of a new team last season (Team #565) and have provided assistance to a number of other teams (and mentorship to rookie team #834 this season).

* one of our goals is to grow FIRST in the northern Delaware area. We do this by using our established networks to approach potential sponsors and high schools. We offer "seed positions" on our team for adults who would like to start a program, but first want to learn more about the process. Currently, we have three teachers involved from a "seed" perspective with hopes that they will start their own FIRST teams in the future.

* we developed our own team colors (lime green and black), robot name - MOE (Miracle of Engineering), team name - Miracle Workerz, very recognizable team cheer (OhOhOhOh - clap-clap clap-clap-clap GO MOE!!). made banging green and black sticks a signature annoyance (we hand out green ear plugs also), and have created a very unified look to our team and robot. This unified marketing approach has even resulted in DuPont businesses approaching our team to ask us who we "hired our marketing people." We laughed and told them we are just a bunch of high school students and engineers.

That's MOE and The Miracle Workerz in a nutshell.

Good luck to all Regional Winners at the Nationals!

Mr. MOE
Team Coordinator