about.php

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<div class="gnav">
  <a href="#about_first" class="navlink">About FIRST</a>
  <a href="#about_us" class="navlink">About Us</a>
  <a href="#team_partners" class="navlink">Team Partners</a>
  <a href="#prev_sponsors" class="navlink">Previous Sponsors</a>
</div>

<h1><a name="about_first">About FIRST</a></h1>

<p><a href="http://www.usfirst.org/" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.dekaresearch.com/images/dean_kamen.jpg" alt="Dean Kamen" width="100" style="float: left; display: inline; padding-right: 15px;"/></a>
  (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
  Technology) was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen (left), inventor of the Segway
  human transport. FIRST was founded to help create the next generation of
  scientists, inventors, and engineers by providing high school students with
  challenges that foster an interest and develop skills in engineering,
  mathematics, and science. In addition, by having students work in teams, FIRST
  helps build self-confidence as well as teamwork and leadership skills.</p>

<p>Each year, FIRST develops a robotics
  challenge that teams of students, mentored by faculty and community
  participants, work to solve. Teams design and build a robot to tackle specific
  elements of each year's challenge and then compete against robots and teams,
  first in regional competitions and then in the world championship in
  St. Louis.</p>

<p>To simulate real world engineering challenges, student teams are given six
  weeks in which to build a robot that can succeed in a competitive
  environment. During the build season, students work through all the steps of the
  design and building process by brainstorming, planning, and designing,
  prototyping, testing, fabricating, assembling and constantly improving their
  designs. Teams also work on the business side of the venture by creating and
  maintaining budgets, organizing fundraising, and developing promotional
  materials.</p>

<p>Finally, in addition to all the work directly linked to creating the robot
  and funding the team, FIRST promotes both community involvement and "gracious
  professionalism." While everyone loves to win, FIRST is not about winning in the
  traditional sense. Winning in FIRST is linked to continuing the vision of its
  founder: to provide inspiration and recognition of the value of science and
  technology. Teams are expected to mentor new teams and to participate in
  community events which promote science and technology. They are also expected to
  be good sports and to help team members and other teams, especially at
  competitions when teams help their competitors compete by sharing tools, parts,
  and experience.</p>

<h1><a name="about_us">About the Ligerbots</a></h1>

<p>The Ligerbots is
  a <a href="http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc">FIRST FRC</a> robotics
  team composed of members from both Newton North and Newton South High
  Schools in Massachusetts. Students participating in Ligerbots design and build a complex robot
  that plays a game, which is different each year. They have six weeks to design
  and build their machine. Students program their robot to control it on the
  playing field. During the competition, teams are paired in alliances, working
  cooperatively with two other teams to outscore a team of three opponents. In
  past years, we have designed robots to play frisbee and basketball. You can see
  last year's robot challenge at
  <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ligerbots2014">tinyurl.com/ligerbots2014</a>.</p>

<p>In addition, the team is run like a small business. The team not
  only builds a robot, but students have to build a brand, design a business plan,
  organize and volunteer at community events, while building teamwork skills,
  finding sponsors and mentors, fundraising, and of course still complete their
  homework.</p>

<p>The Ligerbots is a student-run team. In addition to the design and construction
  of the robot, Ligerbots students are expected to take responsibility for all
  other aspects of the team, including fundraising, marketing, and
  publicity. Students on the Ligerbots are also actively involved in community
  outreach and service.</p>

<p>Ultimately, the goal of FIRST, and therefore, the goal of the Ligerbots, is
  to take those principles in excellence of STEM education and spread them into
  the community at every level.</p>

<h2>Student Activities</h2>

Designing, building and operating the robot are all challenging opportunities,
but there is much more to our team than the robot. We need students who are
willing to work on:
<ul>
  <li>Business & marketing</li>
  <li>Fundraising</li>
  <li>Publicity</li>
  <li>Graphic Design</li>
  <li>Accounting</li>
  <li>Web design and management</li>
  <li>Mechanical & electrical design</li>
  <li>Construction</li>
  <li>Programming</li>
  <li>CAD drawing</li>
</ul>

<h1><a name="team_partners">Other Team Partners</a></h1>

<p>A selection of some of the other FIRST teams we have made friends with,
  helped, or been helped by over the years:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nutrons.com/" target="_blank">NUTRONS (125)</a></p>

<p>Team 125, The Nutrons, is a team organized by Northeastern University, and
  includes members from four local high schools. Prior to our rookie year, they
  loaned us an old robot that we refit in time for the Beantown Blitz.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cybergnomes.ca/" target="_blank">Cybergnomes (2013)</a></p>

<p>The Cybergnomes are a FRC team from Stayner, Ontario. In 2010, they gave us
  an award for “Best Mascot”. The Ligerbots then hosted the team during the 2011,
  2012, and 2013 competitions in Boston, and look forward to possible future
  training sessions together in Canada.</p>

<p><a href="http://rosie.agawamrobotics.org/" target="_blank">Rosie Robotics (839)</a></p>

<p>Rosie Robotics has helped the Ligerbots (and countless other teams) many
  times. When we found that the motor that we used for our arm wasn't allowed in
  LogoMotion, they gave us a legal motor, mounting hardware, and advice.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.team-beta.org/" target="_blank">Team BETA (2836)</a></p>

<p>The Ligerbots met Team BETA at the 2009 Hartford Regional. They were also
  rookies, and we arranged to have lunch with them during the regional.</p>

<p><a href="http://roboknights.webs.com/" target="_blank">RoboKnights (749)</a></p>

<p><a href="http://waylandfirst.org/" target="_blank">Hurriquakes (2349)</a></p>

<p>The Hurriquakes are an FRC team with whom we have had a mutually beneficial
  partnership. In 2012, we worked together at the Boston regional and held several
  social gatherings with them and the BeaverBots.</p>

<p>BeaverBots (2888)</p>

<p>The BeaverBots are another FRC team whom we have held events and gone to the
  Boston regionals with, along with the Hurriquakes and the Cybergnomes.</p>

<p>LigerCubs (2437)</p>

<p>The FLL team The LigerCubs are coached by former Ligerbots coach Deb
  Lund. After helping the Ligerbots create many Newton FLL teams, she left the
  Ligerbots to start her own FLL team. The Ligerbots are proud to have inspired
  Coach Lund and her children.</p>

<p>LigerPandas (4377)</p>

<p>The LigerPandas are an FTC team created and sponsored by the Ligerbots in
  2011, 2012 and 2013. They are made up of Chinese foreign exchange students and a
  number of Ligerbot volunteers; this makes them the first FIRST team ever to be
  created for foreign exchange students.</p>


<h1><a name="prev_sponsors">Previous Sponsors</a></h1>

<p>The Ligerbots would also like to thank our former team sponsors, mentors, and
  volunteers. Their assistance in the earlier stages of our development and over the years
  has been
  vital to the success and continuation of Team 2877.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.cadnexus.com/images/logos/nasa-logo_small.gif"
        height="77" style="display:inline; float:left; padding-right: 15px;"/>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) assisted
  the team in our rookie year, as part of a program wherein it gives qualifying
  rookie teams sizable grants in order to help them to continue on through this
  competition and become established teams.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.boston-engineering.com/"
                   target="_blank"><img src="http://www.analog.com/static/imported-files/images/microsites/MotorControl/BostonEngineering_Logo.gif"
                                        height="34" style="display:inline; float:left; padding-right: 15px;"/></a>
  The Boston Engineering Corporation, a company that works to provide collaborative 
  engineering solutions for all sorts of uses. They are
  associated closely with PTC, and provided mentors and grant money for our team's
  first three years.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.kenexa.com/"
      target="_blank"><img src="http://www.ere.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kenexa-logo-new.jpg"
                           alt="Kenexa" height="40" style="display:inline; float:left; padding-right: 15px;"/></a> 
  Kenexa is a company that provides behavioral
  science-based technological business services to businesses worldwide. In the
  past, they have helped fund the team.</p>

<p><img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/static/xkcdLogo.png" alt="xkcd" height="40" style="display:inline; float:left; padding-right: 15px;"/>
  XKCD is an online comic written by Randall Munroe, a former NASA roboticist and
  a friend of the team. Mr. Munroe has provided mentorship to our team in the
  past, as well as creating both a custom XKCD graphic showing the Ligerbots,
  which we put on out T-shirts, and a <a href="http://xkcd.com/689/">comic about
  FIRST robotics.</a></p>

<p><img alt="Textron" src="http://www.textron.com/assets/images/logo-header.gif" style="display:inline; float:left; padding-right: 15px;"/> 
  Textron is an American industrial production company. They were dedicated
  team sponsors for 3 years and sent company representatives to assist the team
  with build planning. They also assisted with the funds needed to send the
  Ligerbots to St. Louis in 2014.</p>

<center><h1>Thank You!</h1></center>


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