FIRST is for everybody, the one thing that Dean and Woody have taught us over the last 30 years is that FIRST robotics truly is driven to allow students to gain opportunities that they wouldn’t have in any other activity. With that in mind MORT has decided to create a team solely for those students who have either had to move away from their FRC team, or do not have access to an FRC team because of their parents’ military assignment.
If you know of any student who has had to either leave your FRC team or has been searching for an FRC team but don’t live near any one of our great FRC teams currently and their parents are in the military please have them join FRC 430 GAMMA.
GAMMA 430 is the world’s first virtual robotics team participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). We are dedicated to fostering a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) among young individuals, specifically those from military families. Our team operates entirely virtually, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to collaborate, design, and build our robots, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for team members from diverse locations around the globe.
Team Composition: GAMMA 430 is composed of talented students from military families who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the team. Our virtual platform allows these students to participate in FRC regardless of their geographical location, providing them with a consistent and enriching STEM experience despite the challenges of frequent relocations.
Competition Participation: In line with our commitment to inclusivity and excellence, GAMMA 430 selects five outstanding students for each competition to travel and represent the team in person. These students are chosen based on their contributions, dedication, and performance throughout the season. They will fly in to drive the robot and participate in on-the-ground activities, ensuring that our team remains competitive and well-represented at all events.
Our Mission:
Empowerment Through STEM: We aim to empower students from military families by providing them with opportunities to engage in meaningful STEM activities and develop critical skills that will benefit them in their future careers.
Inclusivity and Accessibility: By operating virtually, we ensure that students from military families can participate in FRC regardless of their location, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
Excellence in Robotics: We strive to excel in the FRC competitions by leveraging the diverse talents and perspectives of our team members, pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration.
Key Features:
Virtual Collaboration: Utilizing platforms such as Slack, MIRO , and Google Meet, our team members collaborate on robot design, programming, and strategy. This virtual setup ensures seamless communication and coordination, allowing us to work efficiently despite being geographically dispersed.
Mentorship and Support: Our team is supported by a dedicated group of online mentors and volunteers who provide guidance, technical expertise, and encouragement. These mentors are crucial in helping our students develop their skills and achieve their full potential.
This sounds like an awesome endeavor! Just curious how you intend to build the robot with a virtual team. Will the physical mechanical and electrical work be conducted by a smaller group of local/in-person members, or do you have a more creative solution?
A little Bit of Both, There are some dedicated mentors/ 11 students/ local military students that will all collaborate to finish the final robot. All on a live stream and interactive input from those that are virtual.
What competitions will you be competing at? It would be cool to see guys in FMA.
How have you been recruiting students? What spurred you to create this program? Is this exclusively for students from military families?
Not from 430 but the original post says it’s “for those students who have either had to move away from their FRC team, or do not have access to an FRC team because of their parents’ military assignment,” so I believe the answer is no, it’s just that the majority of the students come from military families.
Competitions will be in FMA, we are hoping to get into Mount Olive Event and Warren Hills Event. Recruiting has just started as of a few hours ago, flyers being sent all over the country through Military and Civilian Channels. The Idea came a conversation about how lucky FRC team members are to be in a place that has FRC. Whether that is a school, or community team. Yes exclusive for Military family members only. There is possibility of future growth, but for now kids of active military personnel only.
Thank you for all the well wishes. We are excited to bring FIRST to those that don’t have access.
Interesting stuff from MORT - Is this is in collaboration with DoD and/or Picatinny?
Best of luck! I’m looking forward to seeing how you document your progress and how kids will be involved in the actual build! Would be fun to stop by and check it out next time I’m home
My one suggestion would be to maybe not add folks to Slack until they go through some sign up form?
This is an awesome idea! I can’t wait to watch 430 compete this year.
If 430 needs any help on the business side this year public relations, awards, documentation, etc.), I’d love to help. I live in the New England region and will be doing most of my current mentoring remotely.
this is a great idea! as someone who is a military dependent (USMC) and has moved frequently, i would not have been able to compete in FRC if not for my school and i know of many people who want to compete in FRC/FTC but are stationed overseas either in asia or europe on bases without any sort of STEM/engineering program (rip 8313)
on another note: have you considered partnership with the NMFA or through military youth organizations like Bloom to further recruitment and funding? you may also be able to apply for DoDEA grants, military dependent extracurricular grants going forward which could help support travel costs and possibly allow more people to travel to competitions
additionally, is this open to continental US only? would love to forward to my friends overseas but i understand the time difference is a pain.
i’m so excited to see more awareness and effort made to support military dependents, thank you for organizing this!
No, those are great ideas, do you have contacts for those organizations? We will open it up to all students of Military, that can be abroad and domestic. The travel of course will be more interesting for those stationed outside the US, but I am sure we can make it work. We still want them to feel a part of this.
MORT funds the robot, and it will be assembled and tested at the MORT practice field. Student around the country will test it, virtually, uploading code, sending new designs ect.
