The problem:
We live in a society that idolizes entertainment - athletes, musicians, and actors. Yet none of the scientific and technological advancements that have bettered our standard of living since the Middle Ages have been due to entertainment; they have been due to the hard work of scientists and engineers around the world finding innovative solutions to the world’s problems. As the world becomes more complex and the old ways of doing things becomes insufficient, more and more scientists and engineers will be needed to solve the difficult problems of tomorrow. However, not enough young people are pursuing careers in science and technology to meet future needs.
The solution:
To combat this problem, Dean Kamen, inventor and visionary, founded the organization known as FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. FIRST holds annual regional and national robot competitions for middle and high school teams. These competitions celebrate the creative and innovative use of science and technology to solve complex problems. Mentored by professional engineers from the community, students learn that careers in science and technology can be fun, exciting, and rewarding.
Why me or my company?
Unlike many charitable causes, supporting the Titan Robotics Club (TRC) has many direct benefits to your corporation. If you work in a scientific or technology-related field, working with the TRC is a great opportunity to develop interest in careers at your company. Providing professional engineers as mentors is rewarding to both the students and the mentors, and financial support leaves a great impression on students without ongoing commitments. As a financial or in-kind sponsor, your company name will be advertised on banners at all TRC events, on our website, on t-shirts, and at the proper sponsorship level, the TRC will even hand out advertising material for your company at all events it attends.
Why the Titan Robotics Club?
There are other high school groups in the Puget Sound area involved in FIRST, so why support the Titan Robotics Club? Excellence: Since its first season in 2001, the TRC has performed above and beyond the expectations for any Pacific Northwest team. The TRC was been placed as 1st seed in the Pacific Northwest in both 2004 and 2005, and then went on to win the regional. In 2006 the Titans won the Regional Chairman’s Award for the Pacific Northwest Regional, the most prestigious award the FIRST Robotics organization offers. In 2012, the TRC won the Seattle Cascade Regional.
Filling in Gaps:
The TRC is based at the Bellevue International School, the only high school in the Bellevue School District that does not offer elective courses such as metal shop and computer technology. Due to the nature and vision of the school, these classes will never be a part of the offered curriculum. The TRC allows students at the International School to enjoy technical activities without taking away from the International School’s core curriculum.
How Can I Help?
Financial Sponsorship: There are some things money can’t buy; for everything else the TRC needs financial sponsors.
In-kind sponsorship:
A tax-favored, cost-effective solution to give the TRC much-needed resources. The reduced flexibility of in-kind donations also reduces the sponsorship level by one level. For example, $1000 worth of in-kind donations qualifies as a “Aluminum” sponsorship level. Appropriate in-kind sponsorship opportunities: Professional mentors: Electrical, Mechanical, & Software Engineers, Computer Animation Specialists, Marketing and Promotion Specialists, Fundraising Specialists and Accountants Robotics Components: Aluminum, steel, & titanium extrusions, & angle irons & plastic sheets Electrical: PCBs & components, crimp connectors, Molex, etc Assembly: nuts & bolts, sheet metal screws, assembly expertise Field Components: Carpet, plywood & building wood, pipe, sheet plastics Travel & Lodging support – for Portland, Oregon and Atlanta, Georgia Food for building meetings (for 10-20 people) Build Space - Accessible space for 10-20 people, machine tools, and materials Machine Tools – Lathe, Milling Machine, Band saw, etc. Machine Shop - Either access to machines for students, or custom built pieces on a timely basis Ideas that don’t appear on this list.
For more information or to make a contribution to the Titan Robotics Club, please visit the contact us page.
We greatly appreciate your support.
