The iPirates: We're Making Waves!

The iPirates have a mission: To create a safe and enjoyable environment where those interested in science and technology can develop intellect and character through working as a team and an individual.

Who are the iPirates?

Founded in 2004, the iPirates (Team 1528) is a high school FIRST Robotics team (FIRST). We participate in the yearly FIRST Robotics Competition and work throughout the year to spread knowledge of FIRST, technology, and science.

Where do we come from?

We come from Monroe County, Michigan. Using Monroe High School as a base, our membership spreads throughout the county, and we spread above and beyond to demonstrate robotics, talk about FIRST, and to participate in various events and competitions.

Why do we do this?

The main reason we do this is that we feel science and technology are very important and need desperate attention from the youth: our generation. In order for our society to advance and grow successfully, we will need skilled individuals with great interest and enthusiasm over science and technology. We prepare students to be successful contributors to this planet's future.

We also do all this work as preparation for the future. The kids that really put effort into this team will learn career skills that they will take with them the rest of their lives. We learn how to work as a team and to be leaders of projects involving other people, we learn how to manage time and meet deadlines, and we learn specific skills related to fields we want to go into. We focus on many career fields ranging from mechanical and electrical engineering to marketing, public relations, and other business skills. Joining a robotics team is much more than joining any old high school club in that we face many challenges as a team and as a business.

The last reason is simple: it's lots of fun! Although it takes a lot of work, time and energy, it really just lots of fun to be part of this team. We go all sorts of places, meet a lot of people, and achieve a great sense of accomplishment through the many projects we take on. How could this not be fun?

In short, being on this team is a great and educational experience for anybody that joins. That is why we do this.

FIRST

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an amazing organization whose primary goal is to spread excitement of science and technology to the youth of our country and the world. FIRST does this by creating different scientific and robotic challenges for students to participate in.

The iPirates participate heavily in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). This is a high school robotics team competition that challenges students to build a robot in 6 weeks to play and compete in a game against other high school robotics teams around the world. It is a lot of work, but we learn a lot and have a great time doing it.

FIRST has also created the FIRST LEGO League (FLL), which is a competition for middle school students. It is very similar to the FRC, in which the students are given a challenge and must work together over a period of time to create a robot (using LEGO Mindstorms) to play the game. The students will then go on to compete against other teams. This program is very International, as teams from all over the world participate. As a service to the FIRST Community, the iPirates host a FLL tournament at Monroe High School. It is rewarding to watch the younger kids work hard and learn from their robots, just like our team does every January and February for the FIRST Robotics Tournament.

Another way FIRST supports students is by awarding scholarships so students can continue their education in science and technology fields. FIRST gives students of all ages a chance to enter environments where they can learn, develop, and experience what life will be like on the outside, and because of that, FIRST gives students the edge they will need to do something really great with their lives. In many ways, FIRST is changing the world.