Navigating through the semifinals in the Edison division, we delivered standout performances, posting two of the highest scores witnessed all season. Regrettably, our efforts fell short, and FireWires was ultimately knocked out in the finals.

Amidst the award ceremony, we were thrilled to receive the Inspire 2 award, recognized as the most esteemed accolade in FIRST Robotics.

Reflecting on our season, we achieved notable victories:

• Inspire 2 at the Centergrove Qualifier
• Winning Alliance Captain at the Centergrover Qualifier
• Inspire Award at the South Bend Qualifier
• Winning Alliance Captain at the South Bend Qualifier
• Inspire 2 at the Dubois Qualifier
• Winning Alliance 1st Team Selected at the Dubois Qualifier
• Winning Alliance Captain at the Indiana State Championship
• Think Award at the Indiana State Championship

The post FireWires proudly represented GEARS at the FTC Championship appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

The fundraiser at Ace Hardware was an opportunity for the team to showcase our robots to the public while raising funds for our upcoming competitions. We set up a booth outside the store and sold hot dogs to hungry shoppers. We also demonstrated their robots, showing off the hard work they had put into designing and building them.

The event was a huge success, with many shoppers stopping by to watch the robot demonstrations and purchase hot dogs. We were thrilled with the turnout and were able to raise a significant amount of money for their team.

WSBT 22 came out and did a great story on us. We love when our local media comes out and supports STEM in the community.

The post Ace Hardware Fundraiser appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

The passing of House Bill 1382 is a major victory for proponents of robotics and STEAM education in Indiana. The bill will provide funding for teams to receive a kit of parts and registration for robotics competitions in the upcoming year. This will enable more students to participate in robotics and STEAM programs and gain hands-on experience in these fields.

The bill’s passing comes as a result of bipartisan efforts to promote STEM education in Indiana. By investing in robotics and STEAM programs, the state aims to provide its students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the 21st century workforce.

More details on how teams can apply for funding will be available soon. Students, educators, and supporters of robotics and STEAM education across Indiana can look forward to the opportunities this bill will provide.

The post Indiana Legislature Passes House Bill 1382 to Fund Robotics and STEAM Programs appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

After reading the book, the students at Northpoint Elementary School were eager to learn more about wind power and how it can be used to generate electricity. However, they soon realized that they did not have access to any real windmills in their area. When a reporter asked them where the windmills were, the children proudly showed off their paper windmills they had made in class. He asked about real windmills that actually worked. The kids told them they didn’t know how.

Fortunately, a group of former Northpoint Elementary School students known as the Fire Wires heard about the children’s interest in wind power and decided to help. They offered to run a six-week class every Wednesday after school to teach the children how to build a real windmill.

The first project the children did in the class was to build sail cars and have races with them. The top three winners of the sail car races got to choose the side panels of the full-sized windmill’s theme. For the next two weeks, the children worked on the side panels, painting and designing them.

Finally, on the last day of the class, everything came together. The children attached the LEDs and side panels to a 400-watt, 8-foot-tall windmill. They were thrilled to see their hard work pay off as the windmill started to spin and generate electricity.

Through this project, the students at Northpoint Elementary School learned about the power of wind and how it can be used to generate electricity. They also gained valuable skills in design, engineering, and teamwork. This project shows that books can be a great way to inspire and teach children, and that with a little bit of help, they can achieve amazing things.

The post How One Elementary School in Indiana Used a Book to Teach Children About Wind Power appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

For those of you who don’ know, 1382 will fund FIRST and other robotics programs in Indiana very much the same way as Michigan does. We have gotten it this far and we are NOT going to quit.

Share this page. Here is an example email you can send, but please feel free to put in your own personal stories. Make these Senators look you in the eye and tell you no.

Here are the 3 Senators we need to email. (Feel free to send to other Senators as well).

Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov
Senator.Mishler@iga.in.gov
Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov

• Student Email Template
• Parent Email Template
• Other Email Template

The post CALL TO ACTION: Save 1382! appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

For the first project of the class, the Fire Wires tasked the students with creating sail cars, which they would then race in a double elimination tournament. The students utilized 3D printed wheels and simple craft supplies to construct their vehicles. In the time trials, each car was timed to determine their speed, and the 1v1 races pitted the cars against each other to determine the winner. The students showed off their ingenuity and creativity, using a range of materials and design techniques to construct their sail cars.

Katalyn emerged victorious, taking first place in the tournament, while Ted and Sawyer took second and third place, respectively. The competition was a fun and engaging way to encourage the students to think critically and creatively, utilizing their STEM knowledge to build a functional and fast sail car. The Fire Wires hope that the experience will inspire the students to continue pursuing their interests in STEM and to consider future careers in these fields.

Once the windmill is completed, it will serve as a valuable educational tool for future classes at Northpoint Elementary School. Students will be able to learn about the principles of wind energy and the mechanics of a wind turbine. They will also discover how the windmill converts wind energy into electrical energy, which will be stored in a battery and used to power LED lights. The windmill has the potential to generate up to 400 watts of electricity, providing a real-world example of renewable energy production.

The winners of the sail car competition will also have the opportunity to paint the windmill, choosing a theme that reflects their interests and creativity. The Fire Wires hope that this project will encourage students to think about the ways in which STEM knowledge can be applied in their daily lives, and how it can help to address the world’s biggest challenges, such as climate change.

Through this program, the Fire Wires are empowering the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to make a positive impact on their communities and the world. They hope that the students who participate in this program will be inspired to pursue careers in STEM fields, where they can continue to develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

The post Harnessing the Wind: Northpoint Elementary Students Create Windmill as Part of Innovative STEM Class appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.

A bill was proposed… then COVID-19 struck. That was that.

This year… a new generation of Fire Wires. Covid is on the run (hopefully!!!). It is time to begin again. We once again started approaching senators and congressmen.

The Day at the Statehouse round 2 happened on February 1st, 2022 and we were there with a couple robots, some robot races. Maybe even a game of chicken with some FRC bots… (yeah we chickened out, those guys are BIG).

Rest assured… we are not done fighting for every FIRST team in Indiana. Once Indiana is done we will move to everywhere else in the United States. That’s a good start right?

The post Day at the Statehouse appeared first on The Fire Wires FTC Team 12014.