2021 – 2022
Year Four
2021-2022 connected us with a wonderful host and sponsor, Aces at Chase magnet school. We moved into a shop on their Waterbury, CT campus in late January.
Brainstorming, designing, and prototyping a robot while simultaneously packing, moving, and setting up a new shop, during snow and ice season in Connecticut, was indeed a challenge.
But by truly working together as a team our dedicated students, mentors and families pulled through. We managed toget to our first competition with a functioning robot that could drive, collect and shoot game pieces, and climb the rungs for the end game.
We named it Warthog, because when the shooter is engaged it rumbles like the airplane!
In February our hard working students also took part in the 4-H Public Speaking Contest. Honing presentation skills is an important component of both programs.
Our first FRC competition in March was the Western NE District Event on the Western NE University campus in Springfield, MA.
Despite pulling the robot together at the eleventh hour, we made it into the playoffs to the quarterfinals with Alliance partners #1729, Team Inconceivable of Peterborough, NH and #6723, Mechanical Mounties of Williamstown, MA.
We had only one week until the next competition in which we had a long To Do list of robot improvements, both that we didn’t get to the first time and had learned from the experience of the first competition.
Again, the team pulled it off, coming away from the Central Mass District Event in Shrewsbury, MA with the Creativity Award from Rockwell Automation for original engineering of our climbing mechanism.
We may not have made it to the championships but it feels like we accomplished so much more. This team’s tenacity and growth certainly bodes well for next year!
April and May saw us continuing to tweak the robots for possible off-season competitions, presentations at fundraisers and community outreach events. We participated in Memorial Day parades in Woodbury and Bethlehem and had a booth at the Bethlehem Jam Fest.
June was the Duck Day festival in Naugatuck, a tag sale, student officers installation, the traditional summer team picnic, and demonstrating the robot and program to younger students of Aces at Chase.
July was a very successful bottle and can drive, all while scheduling around family vacations and summer jobs.
We are settled in to a new home, thanks to Aces at Chase, and are excited and ready to begin a new season. We’re looking forward to welcoming new members from any school or homeschooled. Contact us to apply, become a member of 4-H and FIRST, and help us make the championships next year!
2021-2022 SEASON SCHEDULE
- July 13, 2021 – Programing classes begin
- July – Team Summer Picnic / Senior Send-off
- August – September – weekly meetings: 4-H and FRC training and preparation, recruiting new members, possible events, fall training planning, fudraising, programming classes
- Sept 10 – 12, 2021 Bethlehem Fair
- October 3, 2021 – 4-H day at the Big E
- October – December – shop meetings with safety protocals, shop training, CAD, programming, welding, fundraising…
- January 08, 2022 – KICKOFF
- January 27, 2022 – first in meeting in our new Power Station at ACES at Chase
- January – March 2022 – robot design, build, test, programming, build and program some more, test, practice, game strategy…
- February – Fairfield County 4-H Public Presentation Day
- March 3 – April 6 – Weeks 1 – 6 of FRC Competitions:
- March 18 – 20 Western NE District Event (Springfield, MA)
- March 25 – 27 Central Mass District Event (Shrewsbury, MA)
- April 13 – 17 – Week 7: FRC District Championships
- April 20 – 23 FIRST Championship – Houston
- May – Woodbury Parade, Bethlehem Parade and Jam Fest
- June – Tag sale, Duck Day Festival, Demo for younger students at Chase campus, Officer installation and Team Picnic
- July – Bottle and Can Drive at San Remo’s
- ongoing: programming and engineering training, robots repair and improvements, recruitment, fundraising…
Power Station ΙV
Our shop is located in the Innovation Rooms of St. Margaret’s Hall on the beautiful Chase campus
of the ACES at Chase public STEAM magnet school.
565 Chase Pkwy, Waterbury, CT, 06708
We are grateful to Karen Habegger, Principal of Aces at Chase, and her staff, faculty, and students,
for their hospitality and alliance in bringing 4-H and FIRST® opportunities to more area youth.
aces.org/schools-programs/magnet-schools/aces-at-chase/
ACES at Chase is a premier inter-district magnet school for grades 6-8
and a Project Lead the Way School of Distinction
Power Surge 4-H Robotics considers all students in
grades 8 through 12
for membership, from any school or home-schooled.
Than you to all who supported our Can and Bottle Drive. It was a successful fundraiser and we helped keep stuff out of the landfills. Our totals were over 14,000 cans and bottles! Many thanks to San Remo’s in Woodbury for their hospitality!
Checking for redeemable bottles at the sorting table.
One of our trailer loads almost full.
Remembering those who gave all for our country and sharing our program with area towns on Memorial Day weekend.
Ready for Memorial Day Parade, Woodbury, CT
Our booth at town of Bethlehem’s Jam Fest
Winners of the Creativity Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation for the originality of our awesome climbing mechanism.
Photo of our robot hanging from the highest rung for more points and students explaining the climbing mechanism to the judges.
COMPETITIONS
Our first event, Western NE District Event on the Western NE University campus in Springfield, MA.
We made it into the playoffs to the quarterfinals with Alliance partners #1729, Team Inconceivable of Peterborough, NH and #6723, Mechanical Mounties of Williamstown, MA
Our shooter in action on the field and designing the mechanism in the shop.
Our 2nd event a week later was the Central Mass District Event at the Shrewsbury High School in Shrewsbury, MA, where we won the Creativity Award for unique, well functioning engineering.
A warm welcome on a snowy evening.
Our shop is located in the Innovation Rooms of St. Margaret’s Hall on the beautiful Chase campus
of the ACES at Chase public STEAM magnet school.
565 Chase Pkwy, Waterbury, CT, 06708
We are grateful to Karen Habegger, Principal of Aces at Chase, and her staff, faculty, and students,
for their hospitality and alliance in bringing 4-H and FIRST® opportunities to more area youth.
aces.org/schools-programs/magnet-schools/aces-at-chase/
ACES at Chase is a premier inter-district magnet school for grades 6-8
and a Project Lead the Way School of Distinction
Power Surge 4-H Robotics considers all students in
grades 8 through 12
for membership, from any school or home-schooled.
Moving into new digs.
Robot design brainstorming happens even while moving in for these enthusiastic and imaginative students!
First meeting in new Power Station.
2021 – 2022 Season
A transportation inspired challenge
learn more at FirstInspires.org
Kickoff was January 8, 2022
Build Season has begun!
https://www.twitch.tv/firstinspires
“This year’s game is bound to be better than ever!
We are now heading into our fourth season, and are now more than ever looking to recruit new students.
We are excited to get back to building robots!”
– Jack
ACES at Chase Magnet School answered our call for help by sponsoring a dedicated space on their campus for our team! We moved in at the end of January 2022. Just in time for Build Season. Thank you ACES!
HELP – Immediate Facility Needed!
Can you help us find a facility for our Club?
For the past three years, one of our primary sponsors, Braxton Manufacturing, generously allowed us access to their former Woodbury building for use as our workshop/meeting space while that building was up for sale. The sale is now final and we’ve moved to an intermin space courtesy of Tim Drakeley of Drakeley Real Estate of Woodbury. However, this space is also temporary.
We are in urgent need of a more permanent home.
Our 4-H Club (a registered 501(c)(3) organization) needs access to a workshop type space that will allow our volunteers to continue mentoring local youth (ages 13-18) in the skills needed to engineer robots for world-wide competitions. The facility must meet certain requirements due to safety, machinery, and build/testing concerns. (see requirements below)
Our current student membership and mentors hope to stay in this area, if possible, as many reside in the Woodbury area but we will be grateful for any reasonable location!
If you can help in any way please contact us immediately!
email: powersurge4hr@gmail.com
Power Surge is a registered 501(c)(3) organization
Donations may be tax deductible.
Charity Navigator states, “… for non-cash donations. If you contribute property owned for more than one year, the value of the deduction is normally equal to the property’s fair market value. You have an advantage when you contribute appreciated property because you get a deduction for the full fair-market value of the property. You are not taxed on any of the appreciation, so, in effect, you receive a deduction for an amount that you never reported as income.”
Requirements: Power Surge has our own equipment, work benches, and trailer. We are searching for a facility to house them and allow us access for workshop, meetings, and club activities. These are the requirements needed for safety for all our of club member activities.
Minimum characteristics:
1) Area – 3000 sq. ft. (w/open floor area for robot driving – 20′ x 20′)
2) Heat
3) Restroom/s
4) 3 Phase Power – for Bridgeport, Shear, Lathe, etc.
5) Parking area for mentors/members/ public events
Bonus characteristics:
6) Garage door for loading/ unloading robots & equipment
7) 12‘ ceiling – for practice w/tall competition elements
8) 5000 sq. ft.
9) Secure Trailer storage area
Power Station ΙII
Thank you to Tim Drakeley of Sand Dune LLC for lending us the use of the property at
297 Main Street South in Woodbury
in the interim of finding a new home!
FILL THE TRAILER
On Saturday November 13th, 2021, Power Surge 4-H Robotics enthusiastic team members were at LaBonne’s Market in Woodbury as they held a “Fill the Trailer” event benefitting both Bethlehem and Woodbury food pantries.
Generous patrons of the store helped fill bins placed atop a cart attached to a robot. The students maneuvered the robot and cart to the trailer where canned goods and non-perishable items were off-loaded into the team trailer.
More than $600.00 and several hundred pounds of food donations were later distributed to the pantries.
Power Surge 4-H Robotics President Jack Rubacha presented Rick Wood, of the Bethlehem Food Pantry, food donations and cash collected.
4-H Day at The Big E
Power Surge did a terrific job presenting their robotics program on October 3, 2021!
Grace presenting how 4-H has allowed the team to expand and take students from all over, including home schooled
Demonstrating different wheels used on robot
Team photo for 4-H
Demonstrating robot motion and control system
*** FREE ***
Offered by 4-H STEM Club
Open to any 8th to 12th grader within Woodbury and the surrounding area.
This is a great opportunity to start learning about the programming world!
No pre-registration required.
20th Anniversary Ceremonies of 9-11 at the Bethlehem Fair
We had a great time at the Bethlehem Fair!!!
We enjoyed visiting with everyone and sharing our program and robots with you!
Thank you for your support.
Student team member, Grace, demonstrates Tow-Bot to future team members and families!
2020-2021
A new season. New challenges to come. Going places!