FIRST Looks (Video)

The only thing better than attending a FIRST event that is being managed by JT Yoerger is getting the chance to sit down and talk with him for a few minutes. His energy and love of all things FIRST are not only contagious, but his hard work and dedication make the events that he hosts truly wonderful for the kids in the league.

As Senior Manager of Events, Marketing & Communications for FIRST LEGO League programs in Central Florida, JT manages about 50 events per year. These events include outreach, fund raising, prequalifying and qualifying events, as well as state and national championships and summer conferences. He stays quite busy and it certainly pays off.

At FIRST Looks, we've had the opportunity to see JT in action a number of times over the last few years and we can attest to his attention to detail and level of organization. Most importantly, he makes it seem almost effortless while still ensuring that every cog in the wheel is well maintained. From managing the full time employees to the hundreds of volunteers, offering travel, catering and venue support and so much more. He fosters an environment in which all involved are able to work well together to support the event and most importantly, the kids.

As a FIRST LEGO League alumni himself, he knows the philosophy and games very well. He also knows how important it is to teach these kids FIRST's Core Values and facilitate an atmosphere of ingenuity and growth for them, along with the volunteers who generously give it all that they've got. For JT, it's really all about innovation and changing the world.

To find out more about FIRST LEGO League in Central Florida, you can visit their website at centralfloridarobotics.org. You can also check out the FIRST website here for general information and to find programs in all other areas.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Although Michele has worked in the banking industry full time for many years, she originally went to school with a concentration in communications, advertising and marketing. She began her career in sales and retail management, selling electronics and computers. Her love of all things tech eventually brought her back into the electronics arena three years ago when she started with PLuGHiTz Corporation to help with special events as a Production Assistant. Soon she began to dabble with the audio and video and is loving her role as Producer. She's also one of our content writers and assists with product reviews. Looking forward, she is excited to expand her skill set into editing and helping the company continue to grow.

This week, the team is privileged to attend our initial FIRST LEGO League competition. We get an opportunity to speak with some of the youngest members of the FIRST community, and see how participating in the program early in life can affect students. We also speak with an event organizer for this event, as well as the Regional Director for Orlando.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Middleton High School's Robotics Program has so much to offer to their students including a couple of FIRST teams up their sleeve. Elijah Bond, captain and lead builder for one of the teams, Masquerade (FIRST Tech Challenge 4997) detailed this year's FIRST Tech Challenge game along with their strengths and weaknesses for the season.

Elijah is currently a senior at Middleton High School and this is his third year working with Masquerade. Starting the season as the new captain, he discusses the requirements necessary to acquire the position and the steps he took to get there.

With multiple teams at the school, including two FIRST Tech Challenge teams, there is a process to determine which team you'll be on. This is to make sure neither team overpowers the other, and neither team becomes too large. Elijah describes the process, and how he came to be on Masquerade.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Being apart of FIRST Robotics as a student can bring in a world of possibilities for you and your future. David Guzman is a prime example of this. In high school he was a member of FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1251 Tech-Tigers as the team's lead designer with mentors from Sonny's Enterprises, engineering and manufacturing for car wash equipment. After graduating high school, Sonny's was very impressed with his work in FIRST and was offered an internship.

Today, David is a mechanical engineer working full time with Sonny's leading the new product development in the engineering department. He talks about his journey from FIRST to employment and how he stays involved with FIRST to this day.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

ROBOTICON Tampa Bay focuses a lot of it's attention on FIRST Robotics but the event holds so much more. This event also showcases some of the clubs from the University of South Florida such as the Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry, also known as SOAR. SOAR is a student run club that dedicates their free time to design, build, and understand rockets.

Our team was lucky enough to interview the President of SOAR, Jonathan Fitzer. He discussed the club's main objectives throughout the year from competition through NASA to real life work experience to aid future engineering employment. Learn more by going to the SOAR website.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

At most FIRST events, you only get to see a single league, but at ROBOTICON Tampa Bay we get the opportunity to interact with everyone from FIRST LEGO League Jr. to FIRST Robotics Competition. We took advantage of the opportunity to speak with team members from FIRST LEGO League team 24334, the IncrediBotz. The team is made up of a group of friends who live in the same neighborhood who came together as a team after experiencing an outreach event.

These kids provide a very different perspective on FIRST for several reasons. First, as a rookie team last season, the team made it to the World Championship in Houston. They got to experience the height of the organization in their initial year, getting to see teams from across the country, but also some they knew from the State Championship. Some of the teams they met at the championship they still keep in contact with after the competition.

Second, their younger age provides a unique view of the other leagues. While students in FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition are used to 3D printing parts and cutting metal, the FIRST LEGO League teams are more used to LEGO bricks. Getting to see the materials of the next levels, as well as the physical size and scale of the machines, gets the students excited about continuing their FIRST journey.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

One of the things that makes FIRST so interesting is the constant evolution of the program. In the beginning of FIRST Robotics Competition, teams were always based in high schools. Over time, schools joined forces to create teams while saving money. A few years ago, a new type of team was created for the first time: a team based out of a public library. Based at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library, the Edgar Allan Ohms have been a mainstay of FIRST Looks.

This year we were joined by Joanna Sanders, the team's safety captain. She talked about the early days of the team and how they work out of a library. The team builds in The Foundry, a makerspace built as a "fishbowl" within the library, allowing people to use power tools without interfering with other patrons. In exchange, the patrons can see what is happening within The Foundry, giving the team regular outreach opportunities.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

One topic that comes up on our shows often is the idea that great ideas come from things that suck. In the case of SolidProfessor, the idea came from a lack of great training options for SolidWorks. The CAD software, which is popular with FIRST teams, has a lot of capabilities, but seemed to pose a challenge to a lot of people to learn. Tony Glockler co-founded the company in an attempt to create a scenario for students to learn the software in an interactive way, and also gives the students an easy way to refresh your skills.

The training, which has grown beyond just SolidWorks, allows students to turn their learning into certifications to enhance their abilities and their resumes. The company recognized the value of FIRST last season, and become a sponsor of the program. In fact, teams involved in a FIRST program can get a free subscription to SolidProfessor, to make their manufacturing capabilities better. Head to the company's website and reach out for your team's subscription.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

The creators of ROBOTICON Tampa Bay work very hard every year to grow this fun filled weekend into the amazing event that it is today. Their passion and dedication definitely shines through in the smiles and excitement of the students. They were honored to have the Director of FIRST Tech Challenge, Ken Johnson, join in on the fun. And we were thrilled to get a chance to speak with him.

As director, Ken is responsible to develop the program, which includes the game, rules and field field. Another important aspect is partnering with those that execute the program, outreach and events like ROBOTICON. His role is to help coaches succeed, finding funding to hold the events and building volunteer communities, all under the umbrella of espousing technology and using it to the fullest potential.

Along with recognizing the hard work that the students put into their teams and robots, Ken is fully aware that FIRST would not be all that it is today without the many volunteers who help pull everything together. The sheer number of man hours is staggering. And he loves that many of them are FIRST Alumni. He feels that the best ambassadors of FIRST are the students that have gone through it and the coaches that have volunteered for it. They are truly the best advertisement that they have.

We encourage everyone to visit their website to learn about the different programs.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

The more we learn about the Engineering and Robotics Program at Middleton High School in Tampa, Florida, the more we like it. Russell DeSousa, Head Designer for Masquerade (FIRST Tech Challenge 4997) and a Senior Mentor for the Middleton Robotics Club, stopped by to give us the inside scoop.

Middleton's STEM Programs include Engineering, Biomedical, Game Design and Digital Electronics. The engineering program is structured with engineering design the first year, which transitions students from traditional learning methods and helps them adapt to the learning style offered in the program. Through the next two years, the students take Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Digital Electronics and Principles of Engineering. Then in their senior year, they take Engineering Design & Development, which is a yearlong Capstone Project.

Russell feels that being involved in FIRST Robotics really enhances this curriculum because he can get out of an engineering class and put what he learns to practical use, sometimes almost immediately.

Check out Middleton Robotics Club here to learn more about their teams. And don't forget to visit their Facebook page.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.