Throughout the 2019-20 Skystone Season, the students of FTC Team 8645 Robotic Doges expanded their skills and consistently achieved their goals through competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge program.

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For the third time in four years, the Robotic Doges earned a spot to advance to the FIRST World Championship.  This achievement was won after the team competed in 2 League Meets and 3 Qualifying Tournaments where they secured advancement slots to 3 State Championship Tournaments in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

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During late February and early March 2020, the team competed at the State Championship Tournaments in Virginia and Pennsylvania alongside 106 of the top teams in the northeast.  At both events, FTC Team 8645 Robotic Doges ranked in the top 3 teams, advanced to Division Semi-Finals, and earned the Division Finalist Alliance.  The team increased their season high score from 100 to 116 at Virginia States and to 131 at Pennsylvania Sates, thereby placing the team in the top 10 season score rankings in both states.  

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Besides building a highly competitive robot with which the team earned the Winning Alliance (1st place) at all 3 Qualifying Tournaments, the students won judged awards including the Inspire Award, Motivate Award, Connect Award, and were finalists for the Design Award.  At States, the team earned several more awards including the Innovate Award (VA), Inspire 2 (PA), and Think Award Finalist (PA).  Most importantly, the team achieved their goal of earning an advancement slot to the 2020 FIRST Championship which was to be held in Detroit, MI from April 28th through May 3rd 2020.

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Like the experiences of so many others around the globe, the team’s plans were drastically changed on March 12, 2020.  A mere eleven days after the team earned a spot to compete at Worlds, the FIRST organization announced that the 2020 FIRST Championship was being canceled due to the Coronavirus and “FIRST’s commitment to put the health and safety of our community above all else.” Not yet knowing all that was to come in the months ahead, the news came as quite a shock.  The entire team was especially sad for the seniors who would not have another shot to go to Worlds, but knew their efforts and the skills they learned in the process would not be wasted.

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One of the themes of the 2019-20 Skystone season was to be a “Force For Change.”  While the stated goal was to “create transformation and change in the lives of kids by helping to bridge the STEM skills gap…and motivate the next generation of innovators,” no one anticipated that a global pandemic would occur and spur students into creating solutions for needs in their communities.  As Covid-19 gained momentum, the ingrained mindset of FIRST students to be problem solvers motivated many to take action.  Teams around the world initiated a variety of solutions including fabricating 3-D printed face shields, creating ear-savers, sewing face masks, developing cost effective respirators and ventilators, producing “STEM at home” activities and curriculum, and much more.  FTC Team 8645 Robotic Doges answered the “Force for Change” challenge by fabricating and delivering over 400 facemask “earsavers” and 150 care packages to area health care workers, first responders, hospitals, nursing homes, and local businesses.  It was delightful to see students and team families stepping up to the challenge

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Before Covid-19 struck, the Robotic Doges had actively been sharing the skills they learned by promoting STEM opportunities for students like themselves and helping other teams get off to a great start.  During the Skystone season, the Robotic Doges students volunteered and taught in LHER’s workshops and training sessions which included a JAVA programming workshop, a build workshop on Lift designs and stringing techniques, a JumpStart! workshop for teams with sessions on game strategy, programming, CAD, build design, and field testing.  Over 75 team members from 9 teams attended LHER's workshops during the Skystone season, with many attending multiple events.  LHER and the Robotic Doges also hosted a Qualifying Tournament, at which over 30% of the 24 competing teams had robots using parts that had been received through their workshops and programs.  This shows a small part of the impact LHER’s STEM programs are making on youth in our region.

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Providing students with opportunities to learn and apply both technical skills and life skills now will certainly benefit tomorrow's technology workforce.