ABOUT US
What Is FIRST Robotics®
The mission of FIRST® is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators. In this program we work as a team to build and program a robot to complete tasks set for us. The members of team #7485 have learned a multitude of skills and received a plethora of first-hand knowledge from our mentors that have helped us every step of the way. All of us are looking forward to competing and working together with other teams to put our new skills of robotics, programming, and mechanics to the test.
Providing a stepping stone for Moffat County’s future employees who are not only trained in technical skills but also business and communication.
History
MoCo Robo was started in 2019 to fill a niche.
There are limited STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) programs in Moffat County for the kids in high school. FIRST Robotics provides a challenging and intense extracurricular STEM program that is both educational and competitive. It is the sport for future scientists and engineers. While we are not the only Robotics program in Moffat County, we are quickly becoming the most successful and competitive on a world stage.
Funding
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a life-changing program, but it doesn’t come cheap. Our annual operating costs are around $30,000. We have the support of the Moffat County School District, however, we can not rely solely on the District for funding. We are seeking sources of funding that will allow the program to continue providing a great experience for the students.
Current
From our home at the Moffat County High School, MoCo Robo is currently one of the youngest and most successful robotics teams in Colorado. At our second Regional competition, we finished with an individual ranking of 22nd and our Alliance secured the #2 ranking overall. We have now qualified for the Championships in Houston, TX in April and will face Robotics teams from around the world.
We are always seeking to improve the program and reaching out for sponsorships, mentorship and recruitment. One of the most powerful things about our program is that we teach not only engineering skills, but also budgeting, marketing, business development, media, project management and public speaking.
Future
MoCo Robo participants become better high school students, who then turn into better college students, future employees and finally business leaders that will pilot Moffat County into the future. We are excited to provide a stepping stone to many students on this path. We are making efforts to reach out to the community to find more stable funding to ensure the longevity of our program.