■ Describe the impact of the FIRST program on team participants with special emphasis on the current season and the preceding two to five years:
While interviewing team members, an ongoing theme that we noticed was the stress upon the development of social skills inside and outside of the team. We also discovered that most team members believe that they have improved in the engineering skills required for FIRST competition: fabrication, assembly, programming, and electrical. Our team leaders emphasize that over their 4057 career they have developed leadership skills, time management, planning, and increased involvement in community.
■ Describe the impact of the FIRST program on your community with special emphasis on the current season and the preceding two to five years:
Since Team 4057 was created in 2012, our members have founded and co-founded many FTC and FLL teams in the Basin. The team has spent hours every week during the seasons, working on FLL and FTC robots with the local elementary and middle schools.The team has also collaborated with community partners to promote STEAM at local events like technology fairs, comicons, parades, and sporting events.
■ Describe the team’s innovative or creative method to spread the FIRST message:
We promote FIRST in the Basin in many ways, including: driving the robot in parades, demonstrations at schools, and community events. Last year's Chairman's was submitted to STEM Uncovered: Telling Our After School Stories competition, sponsored by the Noyce and C.S. Mott Foundations and won. It was presented to the 2015 Afterschool STEM Summit in D.C. We also had a booth at Klamath Comicon where people could drive FLL robots from the robotics class at Klamath Union and learn about the team.
■ Describe examples of how your team members act as role models and inspire other FIRST team members to emulate:
Our leadership system is designed for older members to guide younger members to find creative solutions without giving the answer. We encourage members to “think outside the bot” and use their talents to benefit the team in ways they are passionate about, and recognize that not everyone is drawn to build or programming. It’s all about finding and exploiting an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, so leaders welcome each unique team member differently, using what they bring to the team.
■ Describe the team’s initiatives to help start or form other FRC teams:
Our team hosts an annual kick-off party, inviting all the teams in Southern Oregon for an all-night party. Then we all gather and watch the game reveal the next morning. We build inter-team bonds and help get rookie teams started by playing video, board, and card games. Then we all watch the game reveal in the morning. This help give rookie teams a connection so that we can give them whatever help they may need to begin their FRC careers.
■ Describe the team’s initiatives to help start or form other FIRST teams (including Jr. FLL, FLL, & FTC):
In cooperation with the local FTC team (at the time FLL), Klamath Coyotes 1341, STEAMPUNK put on a Lego robotics camp over the summer. This camp helped the Klamath Coyotes to raise enough funds to go from an FLL team to an FTC team in and introduced young community members to FIRST and robotics in general. Various members of our team have formed, coached, and mentored FLL teams at local schools. One of last year’s seniors, now a 4057 alumni, even coached FLL team 9712 as her senior project.
■ Describe the team’s initiatives on assisting other FIRST teams (including Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC & FRC) with progressing through the FIRST program:
One of 4057’s aspirations is to provide connection between PNW teams and FIRST teams internationally. Not only do we host a yearly launch party, but our team runs the Robot Universe group chat, a large inter-team communication system created by seniormember Sasha Vukasovich.This chat been used frequently for discussion of competitions, game strategy, robot design, pit design, programming, and game rules. It also fosters bonds and friendships between teams.
■ Describe how your team works with other FIRST teams to serve as mentors to younger or less experienced FIRST teams (includes Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC & FRC teams):
In addition to the FRC launch party that 4057 hosts annually and the lego robotics camp collaboration with the Klamath Coyotes (Team 1341), our team has members volunteering to mentor or coach several younger FIRST teams in the community. Samantha Clark, a senior team member last year, coached FLL team 9712 as her senior project. Five or more students/mentors of 4057 have also mentored Triad School’s FLL team.
■ Describe your Corporate/University Sponsors:
Our team is sponsored by the schools Oregon Department of Education, Klamath Community College (KCC), Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), Klamath Basin Robotics, the Triad School, Eagleridge High School, Klamath Union High School, and Mazama High School. We’re also sponsored by the companies Dreyer Insurance Agency, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Collaborative Communication Group, The Wright Way, Limited Liability Company (LLC), BLT Trucking, Bullet Rentals, and Fenters Trucking.
■ Describe the strength of your partnership with your sponsors with special emphasis on the 2013/2014 year and the preceding two to five years:
Two of our strongest partnerships are both OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology) and KCC (Klamath Community College), the two local colleges in Klamath Falls. KCC provides us with a facility and machine shop in which to fabricate and assemble our robot, and OIT provides us with mentors, training, and tools for fabrication. The OIT/KCC welding instructor and the KCC diesel instructor are 4057 mentors, as well as students from both colleges.
■ Describe how your team would explain what FIRST is to someone who has never heard of it:
"I would describe FIRST as as great program that really helps you meet other people who share your interest in technology, which hasn't always been ... a very social activity. This creates [a team] where everyone can find a home, even if they're not particularly technologically inclined. It teaches you gracious professionalism, which … would really make the world a better place if it was more widely known." Matt Volpe, second-year.
I can't wait to be one of those old kids who can say "Yeah, I remember the days before districts." and then watch the kid's eyes widen when I explain the days of regionals.. - rachelholladay [more] 
