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Outreach
Team 188 is dedicated to making STEM education accessible to every child. With a vision to mold the next generation of STEM leaders and innovators, Team 188 engages in outreach efforts on three distinct fronts: within the "Community," "Around the World," and in our immediate vicinity, "Near Us." This approach underscores their commitment to fostering a broad-based and inclusive environment for STEM learning and exploration.
Community
In partnership with Catholic Crosscultural Services, we consistently engage with local newcomer students, ages 8-15, to highlight the significance of STEM in addressing everyday challenges. This collaboration underscores our commitment to integrating STEM education within diverse communities, fostering an environment where young learners can appreciate the practical applications of STEM in their daily lives.
Our Vision
Team 188 champions the cause of STEM innovation and education across all social strata. Our strategy for realizing the objectives of FIRST Robotics is encapsulated in the "CAN" approach, a testament to our belief in the feasibility of our mission. "CAN" is an acronym denoting "Community", "Around the World '', and "Near Us", each word representing a layer of our outreach. In our efforts to enhance STEM awareness, Team 188 proactively engages with young individuals in our local community, extends our initiatives globally, and nurtures connections within the FIRST community.
Community
Team 188 is committed to delivering STEM workshops to the local youth in a captivating way. By simplifying complex concepts into interactive activities, participants can directly experience the tangible aspects of STEM innovation. A prime example is the construction of paper straw rockets, an exercise designed to elucidate the principles of drag and thrust forces encountered in actual rocket launches. Through this approach, students from five distinct elementary schools in the Woburn area have been introduced to STEM principles, simultaneously cultivating vital skills in critical thinking and teamwork.
Around the World
The "Cars of Continuity" project, spearheaded by the Team 188 Chairmans in 2018, marked a global endeavor in partnership with the Leacock Foundation. This initiative involved dispatching DIY solar car kits to the Get Ahead Project school in South Africa, providing students with the necessary components to construct a solar-powered vehicle, including a solar panel, motor, wires, and plastic framing parts. Over a six-week period, Team 188 facilitated video conferences to delve into the significance of solar energy and related themes. In subsequent years, our commitment to sparking a passion for STEM continued through online interactions. We offered detailed guidance on constructing spectrometers from available materials, enabling students to investigate celestial light, and emphasized the role of engineering in addressing worldwide challenges, such as the design of accessible playgrounds.
Near Us
Team 188 holds the distinction of being the most expansive and oldest club at Woburn Collegiate Institute. We make our presence felt at every major school event, including Grade 9 Orientation and Grade 8 Night, where we highlight our Robotics team and the FIRST program. With a 21-year legacy of cultivating innovators, our recruitment efforts continue to bring fresh talent into our ranks. To inspire further participation in First Robotics among Woburn students, we created a mural that celebrates the dedication and limitless creativity of Team 188's members.