Outreach

As members of the FIRST community, we want to spread the message of FIRST - That learning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is a pathway to a great career and a lot of fun! Our core mission is to get children interested in FIRST and in STEM. As students of Brother Rice and Marian High Schools, we also want to contribute to our community and improve the environment we live in.

Adopt A Road

This year, we adopted a mile long stretch of Lahser Road in front of Brother Rice and Marian High Schools. We pick up trash along this stretch twice a year.

 Halloween Science at the Cranbrook Institute of Science

We have participated in this event since 2011. Team members run activity stations with Halloween themed experiments and crafts. This is an event where we run Halloween-themed science activities for children (making slime, fake blood, etc.). We've had small groups of our team do this and it's always been a blast.

Women in Stem

One of our goals is to get more women interested in the STEM fields. This year we participated in a Women in STEM event at Marian High School. We are growing in the amount of girls on the team and are excited as more young women become interested in robotics.

Other Outreach

We volunteer to help the community in the following ways: 

  • We helped to combat hunger by planting over 2,000 cabbage plants at the Forgotten Harvest farm in Fenton, Michigan and by donating rice through the World Food Programs online trivia project 

  • We delivered shirts to the less fortunate in Peru, and this February we assembled team donations of educational supplies and daily necessities for distribution in Guatemala

  • We donated LEGO to the Christ Child Foundation, an organization that provides care & housing for young boys in Detroit, particularly those with special needs. 

  • We participate annually in Walk for Wishes at the Detroit Zoo, which benefits the Make-a-Wish Foundation.  

  • Lastly, we are particularly proud of our annual participation in Relay for Life. Over the past 5 years we have raised over $50,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society.

  • This year, we plan to add another annual outreach to that list, doing a virtual STEM-related book reading for underprivileged kids through Brilliant Detroit.

  • At the beginning of the pandemic, some of our coaches had critical roles in creating FIM’s 1 Million PPE Challenge, in which 362 users & companies participated across 14 states. Our team participated in this challenge, making 4,252 PPE for local hospitals & nursing homes. Our members learned to sew masks & 3-D print face shields.

  • We do all of this and so much more to help our community!