Alphabots 26115

We are the Alphabots (#26115), an FTC team sponsored by the Howard County Chinese School (HCCS) and the Maryland State Department of Education. Furthermore, we are based in Howard County, Maryland. Our team consists of 9 members, including 6 rookies from the Alphabots (#30999) FLL team and 3 members with 1-2 years of FTC experience, recruited from other FTC teams. 

Our mission is to inspire innovation, foster teamwork, embrace the spirit of discovery through competitive robotics, and advocate for STEM education within our community. 

Gracious professionalism is central to our FTC team, and we prioritize helping and supporting others. We actively engage with other teams, offering assistance and advice when needed, and are always open to learning from others. A recent example is, we lent our only control hub to Team Phoenix after they dropped theirs, even though it was a risk for us, because we believe in collaboration over competition. This gesture reflects our commitment to creating a positive and supportive environment for all teams. 

On September 7th, 2024, we invited senior project manager Silver Chai to share valuable insights on project management. Following this, we developed our project management plan, which we use to oversee and control the timeline of our team activities.

Development of leadership for each division: Kyle for hardware, Larry for software, Leyna for CAD, and Addison for outreach. Iris, our project manager, ensures the efficient use of resources and time, driving successful project completion. 

As an HCCS-sponsored team, most of our members come from HCCS FLL and other FTC teams. To ensure the sustainability of our team and meet our fundraising goals, we:

• Regularly mentor several HCCS FLL teams, providing guidance and support to help them grow and succeed.

• Maintain close communication with two other HCCS FTC teams to strengthen our collective efforts.

• Hosting the Maryland State STEM Festival Closing Ceremony, showcasing our leadership and commitment to promoting STEM education in the community.

Our goal for fundraising was to raise money for our initiatives, and we successfully raised a total of $1,600 + $4,000 + $750 = $6,350 this season.

• With 7 years of FLL experience, we collected numerous components and, as part of our outreach, offered them at a reduced price to other teams. The team spent weeks organizing and assembling the parts into LEGO SPIKE Prime kits, generating $1,600 in revenue to support our efforts.

• We were awarded a $19,989 grant from the Maryland Robotics Grant Program FY2025, which supports our team and other robotics teams within HCCS. We are proud to have led the grant application process, and we are allocated $4,000 of this funding.

• We received a $750 FIRST Tech Challenge New Team Hardship Grant.