The Ravonics Revolution Team began tackling every challenge that came our way, and we’re just getting started! Our new members are rising to the occasion by presenting fresh, new perspectives and awesome, innovative ideas! We kicked off our fundraising efforts by calling local businesses and asking for sponsorships. The team also partook in greenery sales where we made over a thousand dollars in profit towards our goal of $43,000. Around Christmas time we rang bells every Saturday at local grocery stores, for the Salvation Army. It might have been cold some nights, but there was never a dull moment.
We also volunteered to help out FIRST Lego League (FLL) by building the small “mission” challenges that will be used in the inaugural Kansas City FLL tournament, which will be in January of 2007.
As January 6th came around we shifted our focus to the robot. Once the challenge was announced, we lost no time brainstorming ideas for the ultimate design of our robot. With meeting four days a week and constantly thinking about strategy, the lives of the Ravonics Revolution Team are now completely dedicated to this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Last year, team 1710 was born. We started out as every newborn does crawling and craving information. We spent countless hours learning everything there was to know about FIRST, fundraising, sponsorships, communications, and robots. As a first year team, we learned what it meant to dedicate ourselves to something extravagant. And As a second year team, we’ve taken that dedication to new level. We know what to expect and we’re hungry for it.
However, we didn’t have this confidence a year ago. On January 7th, 2006, the Ravonics Revolution Team became nervous, and a little apprehensive, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. When the challenge was released, we had no idea how we would meet it. As a rookie team, we chose to keep it simple. Our robot would score points by placing balls in the lower goal, rather than attempting to launch the balls through a circular goal, ten feet in the air. Our team spent many late nights at school creating a robot that would complete this task. In the end, we had a robot that could score points and get up the ramp. We had a driver ready for competition. We had money to travel. We had buttons made, and we were ready to relax until the regional competition in Milwaukee. But, Tuesday, March 19th, came too quickly and we loaded the busses for WI. .
Once the team arrived, we spent a day relaxing and touring the amazing city. Then, Thursday came and once again, we weren’t sure what we had gotten ourselves into. We put up our pit, which looked great, but our robot was working off and on. With Thursday’s practice rounds over, we found a few complications with our robot. Our dedicated design team stayed late to hopefully fix all the kinks. Sadly, Friday, went worse, but we kept smiling through it. Saturday was much brighter. We completely revamped our robot to become defensive instead of offensive. .
Even though we didn’t make it to the champion rounds we still had a blast cheering on our fellow team from Paola, Kansas. The regional was almost over and all that was left was the awards ceremony. We sat watching all the other teams names get called for different awards. Finally, they started talking about a team that had a superior business plan, a nice pit design, and a good robot design. Next thing we new they called out Team 1710 Ravonics Revolution, Judges Award for day 2. This award might not have qualified us for nationals but the experience was what mattered the most to us. When we arrived home, we realized we had crawled our way into becoming a family. It was the memories we all share and the friendships we have made that make those sleepless nights worrying about the robot all worth it. .
Aerospace and Engineering is a 21st Century program in which students of various abilities will explore and master technical applications of high-level mathematics, science and technology through engineering-based projects. Students use skills such as designing with CAD drafting software to build aircraft, rockets, and BattleBots. They manufacture their own products from different materials. The Aerospace and Engineering program has vast opportunities, and resources to help students prosper in their own education and develop professional skills.
These aspiring participants demonstrate capabilities in engineering, communications, programming, logistics, marketing, and business operations. This program prepares the students for careers to interact in a myriad of professional fields and places an impressive Aerospace & Engineering Endorsement on their transcripts.
The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960’s by the late Ewing Marion Kauffman, and is now the 26th largest foundation in the United States. Stationed in Kansas City, Kauffman has impacted the Kansas City area greatly and reaches out to a diverse group of people. Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Royal’s baseball team, was named by the community to honor the Kauffmans.
The foundation’s vision and goal is to cultivate “a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens contributing to the improvement of their communities.” Grants and operations from the foundation focus greatly on the areas of advancing entrepreneurship and improving the education of children and youth.