ABOUT THE TEAM
Power Surge, FRC team # 2712, is a new 4-H sponsored FIRST Robotics Competition team.
Power Surge was started by students, parents and adult mentors formerly on CT Region 14’s Team Beta # 2836.
Partnering with 4-H will allow the members the freedom to pursue the opportunities they have been unable to access in recent years, returning to their roots as a team that collaborates with other FIRST teams in outreach events and offers enrichment opportunities to fuel students’ interests and inspire their future.
An important benefit of the new structure allows the team to extend membership to students outside of the Region 14 school enrollment, providing a venue for STEAM enrichment to homeschoolers and students at schools that do not have such a program, expanding the team members’ horizons and the program’s reach to more future innovators.
More flexible scheduling and transportation will allow them to once again be able to reach beyond the official competitions to:
- Inspire younger students and help start new teams
- Present as guests to other robotics clubs
- Volunteer at FIRST events
- Exhibit at Maker Fairs
- Renew their relationship with the John J. McCarthy Observatory
- Visit their sponsors to witness real-world engineering and business environments
- Attend FIRST University seminars and off-season scrimmages held at other schools
- Attend season Kick-off and educational events at FIRST HQ in New Hampshire.
- Plan and attend social and collaborative events with students on other FIRST teams
- Access the myriad resources and events sponsored by Connecticut 4-H and the University of Connecticut
Power Surge retained Team Beta’s founding and long-time mentors, who will be able to continue the FIRST blueprint of mentorship by adults in the working world, whose companies can model innovative work, philanthropic and civic service, and sound and ethical business principles. Proof of the efficacy of this model can be seen in the original team’s alumni who have graduated from top universities and are pursuing careers at NASA, Apple, and Amazon Robotics. Both FIRST and 4-H require mentors to be trained and vetted.
The mentors appreciate the impassioned, dedicated, hard working, and visionary students and parents who took this leap and are excited about helping youth reach for their dreams.
