Team Neutrino sponsored and assisted a new FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team this summer, Team Photon 18050. Team Photon encourages members to try out different areas of the team, whereas Neutrino recommends students gain in-depth knowledge by focusing on a few specific sub-teams. Prior to 2020, there were no FTC teams in Ames. Team Neutrino has talked about starting an FTC team for several years, and Neutrino mentor Dagney Paskach recognized the incoming freshman class would exceed Team Neutrino’s capacity. So Team Photon was started as a second option to involve Ames High students in FIRST. Team Neutrino provided funding for half of the initial registration of Team Photon, and included Team Photon members in Neutrino-led summer training camps to educate them in areas such as graphics, fundraising, and design. With that training, Team Photon has been working on finishing their robot drive base, designing team shirts, and starting a Robot Design Challenge outreach program at Fellows Elementary School.
Lastly, both teams enjoyed integrated small “buddy” groups during the summer that provided a chance to make friends and start a social partnership between the teams. Good luck to Team Photon (@FTC_TeamPhoton on Twitter and Instagram) in all their new opportunities and the 2020-2021 Ultimate Goal season!
