Get Involved!
Team 228 at a Glance
Location: Meriden, Connecticut, USA
Team Size: 25 Students, 10 Mentors
High Schools: Platt, Maloney, and Wilcox Tech High Schools
Rookie Year: 1999
Team Mantra: Contagious Enthusiasm!
Learn more about our history!
From our rookie year of 1999 until the present, Team 228 has continued to grow, expand, and introduce and inspire an ever increasing number of students and mentors to FIRST through the FIRST Robotics Competition, the FIRST Vex Challenge, and the FIRST LEGO League. Read more...
Learn more about the history of Team 228!
Without the support provided by adult mentors, Gus Team 228 as we know it would not exist. Everyone from the engineers who help with the design and construction of the robot, to the parents that assist in any way they can, contributes to our team. There is always some way to make a lasting impact on our team, and volunteering your time is one of the best ways. Contrary to popular misconception, FIRST about more than just robots and competition. FIRST is about making a inspiring students to their full potential, about instilling in them a passion to aspire toward higher goals in life, and to develop an appreciation for science, math, engineering, and technology. The robotics competition is merely the vehicle for this process.
ust because you may not be a science teacher or a engineer does not mean you should not get involved with FIRST. Here is where NEMO comes in. NEMO which stands for Non-Engineering Mentor Organization is meant to help the parents, teachers, and sponsors who volunteer at FIRST teams, but not with the robot. NEMO was founded in May of 2004 by Kathie Kentfield and Jenny Beatty to give support top all the non-engineering mentors on FIRST Teams. If you would like more information about "finding" NEMO, then send a private message to "KathieK" (Kathie Kentfield) or "RoboMom" (Jenny Beatty) through ChiefDelphi Forums.
Looking to volunteer? Check out these Links!
FIRST VIMS (Volunteer Sign-up)
NEMO: Non Engineering Mentor Organization
Volunteer Today!
Don't know what you can do to help Gus? Don't worry, you do not need a be a "technical" person to Get Involved!. There are plenty of ways parents and teachers can help out that don't involve the robot. Here's some ways that you can help:
Help with community outreach efforts
Organize team events
Contact local news media to cover FIRST events
Help design/make pep club giveaways
Help recruit new members
Take photographs and video of the team during competitions
Mentor a sub-team: Robot, Finance, PR, Website, Animation, Pep Club, etc.
Help with team fundraising
Make presentations for sponsors/school/board of education/etc.
Work with the school to create awards/give letters to FIRST students
And many more!
Learn more
If you would like to read more information about the FIRST program, and the effects that it has had on its participants, we encourage you to read the following white paper from Chief Delphi Forums:
101 Ways Parents Can Help a FIRST Team - Don't know how you can help a FIRST Team? This White Paper from NEMO has 101 possible ways you can help a FIRST team. FIRST Testimonials - Want to know what FIRST is really about, and how it can change your life? What better way to learn about this than from real FIRST participants? This white paper is comprised of a series of letters from actual FIRST students, mentors, and volunteers explaining how FIRST changed their lives.
