Ctrl-Z is a youth robotics organization that works under FIRST. The main objective of our group is to teach high schoolers the importance of STEM and teamwork by building a robot to perform in competitions against other FIRST teams. However, Ctrl-Z is a very outreach oriented team. Much of our time is spent thinking of ways that we could better our community by spreading STEM and FIRST values.
Starting at conception, in 2011, Ctrl-Z wanted to be an impact on the community. Over the past five years that Ctrl-Z has been around, we have created multiple lower level robotics teams for younger kids. We also hold demonstrations throughout the year to spread knowledge about our team and FIRST. In these demos, we go to schools, camps, and festivals to reach a broad range of people who might be interested in what we do. Although we started with only a few demos through our first year, we now average around twenty-five demos per year. Ctrl-Z members help out with science based camps as well. We are active leaders in four summer camps around our area. This year, we have organized our very own camp, the Summer Youth Robotics Academy, (SYRA) to debut this summer that focuses on teaching kids of minority ethnicities and lower socioeconomic class about STEM and FIRST.
Ctrl-Z members are trained to be proficient in many skills, both related to the engineering of building a robot and to the less technical side of running an organization - public speaking, business organization, etc. Because a large portion of Ctrl-Z is aimed at creating a competitive robot for the year’s competition, each student is given basic machining and building skills. We learn how to use basic power tools such as drills and jigsaws, but also larger machinery such as a band saw or chop saw. We also learn how to use Computer Aided Design to design each piece of our robot in 3-D. But because we are also very focused on outreach, each student learns how to give an elevator speech, describe what our robot does and how it works, and also basic teaching and leading skills so that we may best be involved in our community.
This year, along with SYRA, Ctrl-Z has plans to work with Habitat for Humanity to bring our mission to Mississippi. We want to spread FIRST and STEM values, but we believe that it is important to give back to the community as much as possible, and as such we plan to help Habitat for Humanity build houses for those of lower socioeconomic class who we also wish to help educate. Ctrl-Z would like the help of Home Depot in reaching this goal. With the tools and material that can be provided as well as the professionalism and skill of our team, we believe that real quality can be reached and many members of the community in Mississippi can be helped.
I honestly really liked this for a lot of reasons. You explained what CTRL-Z is and why it's helpful to our community, and while doing so, your passion for the organization/program really came through. That made it much more entertaining to read. the only problem that I saw was that you didn't state an amount that you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the detail you put into this. It's evident, through your proposal, that the passion of this team shines through in a much more multi-faceted manner than most would like to believe--especially through all our outreach efforts. Very well-rounded team description, though I think a bit more elaboration on the trip itself (since it is, after all, what you're requesting funds for), would go a long way. Information on what exactly it is that we do down in the Delta, how the camp would be run, why we need money for resources, etc. Otherwise, solid grant.
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