This after-school / evening organization is made up of students from Gorham and Falmouth High Schools and many of the parents of these students, as well as high school teachers, area professionals, and Northern Force alumni. The team is about cooperation, actually "coopetition." Robotics is the vehicle, but as in any organization, many skills are needed besides robotics. Besides engineering and technology, involved students and parent leaders may have more of an interest in organizing, administrative work, public relations, cooking, writing, cheerleading...you name it. There's something for everyone.

• We do almost all of our work at Lanco Assembly Systems.
• Monday evenings are often selected for All Team meetings. During the build season during January and February, we work most evenings of the week and during the day on Saturday and Sunday.
• Mentors schedule regular meeting times in advance, and keep communication open for the benefit of all members, students and adults. The Web site calendar is the team's "bulletin board," and current meeting times can always be found there.
• No experience is necessary to be a student, or a volunteer. Professional mentors need not only be engineers. The team has many needs.
• The students are mentored by professionals and parent professionals in engineering, technology, administration, and other creative and professional fields as needed. New parents are welcome to become as involved as they would like. Team 172 is a strong family team.
• In order to keep the activity accessible to all, no fee is required by any students, though families who are able are encouraged to help defray the cost of the program which is estimated at $500 per student. Corporate support provides most of the funds to run this program.

Typical schedule month by month:

• September: Planning begins, usually by the veteran adult mentors.
• October: New members are welcome. The season usually kicks off with an All Team potluck supper and presentation.
• November - December: At least one major fundraiser is planned by the students. Student raised funds support team spirit, fun stuff and more. Students are expected to work at least 5 hours on fundraising. Also during these months, students participate in technical clinics to get ready for the "build season."
• January: At the FIRST Robotics Competition kickoff in the first week of January, all of the teams around the world will be given a box of parts and a problem. For the next six weeks, the students and mentors will design and build a robot that will attempt to solve this problem in a cooperative game with other teams and their robots. Students and parents should plan to attend a local kickoff social the first Saturday of January to learn what the game will be. The next day, the work begins.
• February: The build season continues until two weeks before the competition date, when the robot must be complete and shipped to the competition site.
• March: The very first weekend in March we travel to our regional FIRST Robotics competition in Manchester, New Hampshire, where nearly 50 other teams compete. It's an exciting event, and students and parents should all plan to attend all three days if possible, but at least Friday and Saturday. Student and mentor hotel rooms and meals are paid by the team. Family and friends are encouraged to come too, and provide the much needed team spirit that it takes to make this a very exciting event. Admission to the event is free.
• April: Toward the end of April, long after the competition, our team hosts a sponsor recognition night when we invite our sponsors to come and meet the team and the robot. These industry executives and engineers enjoy learning about how this activity can benefits the development of educated professionals for Maine's growing high-tech industrial community.

About FIRST Robotics: FIRST stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." It is the brain child of an engineer from Manchester, Dean Kamen, who is now a hero for thousands of young people around the country. Learn more at the FIRST Web site, www.usfirst.org.

The FIRST Vision: FIRST inspires in young people, their schools and communities, an appreciation of science and technology and an understanding that mastering these can enrich the lives of all.

The FIRST mission: FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering."

If you still have questions about the team's activities in the coming year, please feel free to write to loriaam@maine.rr.com.

Return to the "About the Team" page