Affiliate Programs
XBOT Robotics directly operates competitive robotics teams as part of several leagues. We provide our teams with full-time coaches and mentors, recruit student participants, and perform all necessary administrative and logistical functions required for the teams to compete (e.g., register teams, transport students to practices and competitions, provide hotel accommodations for remote competitions, and provide necessary tools, equipment, parts, and materials). For information on teams we operate directly, please see Competitive Robotics.
We also support a variety of community teams that have their own coaches and students but require extra help, particularly when they are first getting started. Community teams which we support with expertise, supplies, etc. but do not directly operate are known as affiliated teams. Over time we have supported affiliated teams participating in various STEM education programs including:
Team members displaying the turbine they designed as part of KitWind Challenge.
Team members preparing to submerge their ROV during a MATE competition.
Affiliated teams in FIRST Lego League (FLL)
In 2010 XBOT Robotics ventured into new territory by helping coaches start rookie FLL teams. FLL is a robotics competition for elementary school and middle school students. This foray into competitions for younger students was the beginning of our affiliation with many parents to help them start their own community FLL teams. From 2011 through 2018 XBOT Robotics helped parents start over 20 FLL teams. XBOT Robotics provided Lego NXT and Lego EV3 Mindstorms kits to these new teams along with mentorship on how to compete in an FLL season.
During the summer of 2019, FIRST Washington and Seattle Public Schools formed a partnership with Amazon to establish robotics programs in Title 1 schools across Seattle. Because of our expertise in starting and supporting FLL teams, as well as our long-standing STEM education advocacy in South Seattle, XBOT Robotics was asked to recruit principals and faculty from 27 Title 1 schools to participate in the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) program. With input from those schools, FIRST Washington, and Amazon we established team budgets and training curricula. Throughout the summer XBOT Robotics hosted workshops where teachers and staff from the participating schools were trained on how to coach FLL teams and how to use Lego EV3 Mindstorms robot kits.
During the 2019-2020 FLL season XBOT Robotics supported the new teams with guidance on projects, building robots and preparation for competition. XBOT adult mentors along with high school students from the XBOT Robotics’ FRC team #488 worked with many of the FLL teams on a regular basis. At the culmination of the 2019 season the XBOT Robotics hosted an FLL competition at Franklin High School for all these new teams.
The AFE program provided funding for new FLL teams to participate in the league for three years. XBOT Robotics will continue to support the initial schools participating in the AFE program and will grow the program where possible.
Team XBOT student providing elementary students with their first exposure to Lego Mindstorms EV3 robots and FIRST Lego League.