About Team 1717

The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy was fully implemented, and the Robotics class was first offered, in the 2005-2006 school year. Since then, Team 1717 has had great success, not only in building a competitive robot each year, but also in helping its members grow individually and as a team.

After careful consideration, we decided to frame the entire academy around robotics. The reasons for choosing robotics as our focal point are many. First, high school robotics programs have consistently demonstrated their ability to heighten student interest in science and engineering and maintain the students’ enthusiasm throughout their participation in the program. This was validated during the past few years here at DP. Moreover, there is a wealth of resources available to help schools implement successful robotics programs. Finally, designing and building a robot requires students to understand a wide array of science and engineering topics, including but not limited to physics, computer science, and biology.

Courses taken as a part of the Engineering Academy cumulate to support the end goal of successful student participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition. However, these courses do not focus solely on robotics. They have been crafted in such a way as to provide students with a varied and broad experience in the sciences. As members of Robotics, students gain experience in the scientific and engineering fields but also in the corporate and industrial worlds. During pre-build season, students organize almost every aspect of interfacing with the public, in the forms of fundraising, ordering materials, and keeping parents informed about the program. During build season (early spring), students design the robot from its rudimentary level by drawing up parts on a CAD program, constructing their own electrical board, physically building and assembling the robot, and finally, programming it to achieve all the functions required by the prompt of the competition.

The primary goal of the Advanced Engineering Physics and Robotics courses is participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition. However, these courses also place a strong emphasis on teamwork, critical thinking, advanced drafting and CAD skills, machining, prototyping, and execution. By participating in the Engineering Academy and finally the Robotics course, students develop skills that can be used in nearly any real-world situation.