Why You Should Join!
We are always looking for the best ways to teach, promote, and excite students about Science, Technology, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). By joining our team you will:
- Be given opportunities to enrich your leadership, presentation, teamwork, and problem solving skills in a stimulating and creative environment.
- Experience hands-on learning in many STEAM areas including design, build, electrical, engineering, machining, media, animation, and programming in a dynamic setting.
- Advance your skills of creative problem solving, working with sponsors in industry, making a business plan, planning events, writing essays, and speaking in a professional manner.
- Experience the world of handling professional social media platforms, photography, video and photo editing, branding and marketing.
- Work with dedicated mentors from diverse backgrounds who together have over 160 years of experience guiding students on FRC teams.
- Have fun! Enjoy collaborating with other students who are dedicated to the many areas of our team including STEM, business, and media.
Schedule
The team operates throughout the school year:
- From September to December, interested members are trained in the technical skills required to design, build and program a robot. Other member-driven activities run during this time help raise team funds and promote STEAM in the community. The team also offers assistance to other less experienced FRC teams. Participation in two “friendly” off-season competitions using the last season’s robot encourages team bonding, gives the Drive Team experience and familiarizes all members with the competition environment.
- In January, all 3,500 FRC teams around the world receive the new season’s game challenge. They have several weeks to complete a sophisticated robot. The robot weighs about 70 kg. and must perform a number of autonomous and tele-operated functions requiring high-level design, programming and fabrication skills.
- In March and April, the team participates in two District Competitions at southern-Ontario universities. These competitions lead to the Ontario Provincial Championships, and ultimately top teams compete in the World Championships in Detroit. (We have competed there the last two seasons!)
- In May and June we conduct additional skills enhancement training and outreach activities
Meeting times:
FRC Team 1360 wishes to maintain a flexible schedule throughout the year to enable our students to work, participate in school extracurriculars, or to manage personal responsibilities. In the fall, we plan to meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in a downtown Oakville location. Members who demonstrate interest in our Robot programs will then be invited to participate in the very intensive design, building, and programming activities in January through March. From January to March, we will meet four evenings a week and Saturdays to complete the robot. (Members are not expected to attend all meetings, and school work is always the first priority!).
Fees
The membership fee for the 2020/21 season is $400. This includes a team shirt, participation in one local District Competition and the Provincial Championships. All team members are also expected to purchase and wear Canadian Standards Association approved safety footwear at all meetings. Optionally, members may pay extra fees to attend an Off-Season Competition in the USA, a District Competition in Ontario requiring travel and overnight accommodation, and the World Championships in Detroit. As a non-profit organization, all fees paid by members will go back to support the team.