Community Outreach
3DP
Our Fenton Robotics 3DP program is one of our many ways we help our community. We design and 3D print fidgets and helpful devices for children in need, as well as safety tools for all the hard workers out there. We partner with our schools' ASD program to provide general tools as well as special requests for specific kids in need. A few items we've designed include fidgets like infinity cubes and safety devices like Desk Plugs and Locker Blockers. Our crowd-favorite is our occusplash: a portable, light, eye washing device that fits into a plastic water bottle top.
How did 3DP start?
Background: Around 90% of our high school and middle school robotics members own 3D printers through a former matching program with BorgWarner. In 2021, two members of the middle school robotics team designed Desk Plugs for the library tables at the school, fulfilling a staff request.
FTC 7643 at the FIRST Championship: During the 2022–2023 season, FTC Team 7643 attended the FIRST Championship. While there, we shared information about our 3D printer matching program with another coach, who asked how we were using the printers to help our community. That question sparked the idea for 3DP (3D Printing for a purpose).
Beginning of 3DP in the Middle School: In the 2023–2024 school year, the Special Education teacher at our middle school noticed the Desk Plugs in the library and asked if we could make similar plugs for her students’ lockers. This request led to the creation of the Locker Blocker, marking the start of 3DP.
Volunteer Work
Clara's Hope
We work with Clara's Hope annually to volunteer with donations and backpack packing. We pack backpacks for kids who may need to switch homes quickly, even in the middle of the night. It provides basic needs as well as some comfort items like a stuffed animal or a toy.
Veteran's Day Cemetery Flag Cleanup
We annually visit Oakwood Cemetery in Fenton to clean up the flags for Veteran's Day. This volunteer activity is loved by many robotics students and we take FRC and FTC students with us.
Community Expo
We attend the Fenton Community Expo at our Fenton High School every year to demonstrate an old robot and share robotics with other kids, explaining how robotics can be for everyone. FRC and FTC students attend this event to help out at the stand and talk to parents and students about the value of FIRST.
Eighth Grade Transition Night
In February, our FRC team goes to the Fenton High School to recruit students and spread awareness for FIRST robotics. We talk to incoming freshmen about our favorite parts of robotics and tell them what it's all about. We bring a 3D printer and a robot to demonstrate and set up a little game for students to play with the bot to inspire them to join robotics.
Wheelchair Wash
In the summer, Fenton Robotics visits the Vicinia Gardens Senior Living Facility for a fun "car wash" where we clean wheelchairs for the citizens living there. We make it fun by bringing inflatable water-spraying arches to run under with the chairs.
Farmer's Market
We love to set up at our local Fenton Farmer's Market in the summer. It gives us an opportunity to get outside and spread robotics to our community. Many kids like to visit our stand downtown and play with our free-play Lego bins that we set up in the grass, as well as feel and look at our prototypes and side projects.
STEM Events
We host many stem events at our schools throughout the year. In the spring, we host our Light Up The Night event at World of Wonder preschool. This event is done under blacklight where we have many glowing objects and colorful sensory activities to teach kids STEM skills. Another event is our STEM day at Shoebox Sports in Lake Fenton, where we set up our past robots and other activities that teams from all our grade levels help run.
Tree Wrapping
Our tree wrapping event takes place at Bush Park in Fenton. We wrap the gazebo in evergreen garlands for the winter months. Our FRC team attends this event and really enjoys beautifying this park for the holiday season.
Angel Tree Delivering
We love helping out the Angel Tree program by delivering gifts for them. This program provides clothes and toys for children and seniors in need during the holidays. Donors choose an "angel" with a special wishlist and pay for those items. This program helps so many people each year and we are proud to help out.
Parades
Our robotics teams participate in many of Fenton's parades. This season, we have attended only the homecoming parade so far, however last season we attended all of Fenton's parade events. We like to drive an FRC bot with a seat that we made especially for parades that can fit a younger kid in it, and drive it up to people with a bucket of candy. This is a great way for us to get people interested in robotics and spread the word.
