FIRST – Pascack Pi-oneers [Team 1676]

**What is FIRST?**

As a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team, the Pascack Pi-oneers annually design and construct a robot to participate in the current year’s game within the six weeks of Build Season. FIRST is more than robots, providing opportunities for team members to contribute to their team by non-mechanical means.

The goal of Team 1676 is to meet the challenges of FRC by valuing teamwork, camaraderie, community service, Gracious Professionalism, and Coopertition. Through team participation, members attain confidence from hands-on experiences led by dedicated mentors. They learn leadership skills and are inspired to mentor others during Build Season and throughout the year.

Team members constantly strive to educate others in STEAM subjects, with a focus on children, the future of STEAM and FIRST. The Pi-oneers are passionate about what they do and apply the concepts practiced at robotics to everyday life. The team’s motto is, “Gracious Professionalism … Don’t Leave High School Without It!”

Leadership

Dean Kamen

Founder, FIRST, DEKA Research & Development Corporation

Chris Moore

President, FIRST

Woodie Flowers (1943-2019)

“Woodie Flowers was the FIRST Executive Advisory Board Co-Chair & Distinguished Advisor. He was also critical to establishing the ethos of FIRST by coining the term Gracious Professionalism® and nurturing its meaning in his every action. Throughout the 30 years of FIRST, Woodie has been an incredible supporter of the FIRST mission, a friend to everyone he met, and an inspiration to all students, alumni, mentors, volunteers, supporters, and staff. Recipients of the Woodie Flowers Award, past, and future, will carry on his legacy as mentors who inspire young people through the art and science of engineering and design.”

Vision and Mission of FIRST

The mission statement of FIRST is

“to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”

Why is STEAM Important?

FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1676 the Pascack Pi-oneers is focused to include and inspire members to become the next generation of innovators. The evolution of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to include the Arts expands the potential for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) teams to embrace the abilities and talents of all team members. More than just robots, FIRST celebrates the amalgamation of art: Computer-Aided Design, prototyping, Engineering Notebooks, graphics, and fabrication in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).