2025/2026 first ftc kickoff event

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The MechaMavs have the honor to invite all teams to the unveiling of the 2025-2026 FIRST FTC Challenge:  Decoding.  Join us for a day of fun, and collaboration; bring your robots from last season if you can, and let's explore together this season's new competition field, facilitated by FIRST Robotics.

10:00 am - Registered Teams Arrive - Doors open

 - Welcome Teams, Meet and Greet

10:15 am - Challenge Activities

10:35 am - General Team Strategies for Catholic (or Independent) Schools

11:00 am - Breakout Sessions

 - On-Shape CAD Presentation (led by MechaMavs Design/Build Team)

 - Understanding Competition and Awards (led by MechaMavs Business Team)

11:30 am - Lunch Break

 - Pizza provided by MechaMavs.  Everyone brings their own drinks/water bottles.

12:00 pm - FIRST FTC Game Reveal!

 - Teams watch kickoff together and share their thoughts.

12:45 pm - Game Field Reveal

 - Physical Field supplied by FIRST will be shared with teams.

1:00 pm - Understanding and Discussion of Game Rules

 - Students with mentors will review the new season’s game and rules.

1:30 pm - Team Strategy

 - Teams will utilize classrooms to brainstorm game play, robot designs, and strategies.

2:30 pm - Team Strategy Discussion

 - Teams share strategies, robot ideas, and expected game play with large group

3:00 pm - End of Kick-off Event

 - Teams can review the field, talk and help clean-up.  

Event Coordinator:  Charles Warrick

Contact #:  248-749-2145

Email:  cbwarrick@cooperstandard.com

Seven MechaMav team members took time out of their busy schedules to complete a nine-week Cybersecurity challenge sponsored by the SAE Foundation.  They learned the inner workings of the internet and how cybersecurity protects information as it passes from the sender to the receiver.  Three separate teams presented their solutions to a team of judges with one team crowned as champions.   

The team presented the challenge to executives from many automotive companies and suppliers as part of their annual SAE Foundation gala held the second week of May.  This event raised over $300,000 to support SAE International’s award-winning A World In Motion® PreK-12 STEM education program, Collegiate Design Series™ (CDS), awards and SAE scholarships.  

Further information regarding the SAE Foundation and ways to contribute can be found at  Inspire Aha! STEM Experiences for All Students | SAE Foundation 

The Mecha Mavs helped serve over 50 people during a recent community meals program at Lake Orion United Methodist Church.  The team packaged 30+ premade meals for delivery to home bound seniors, served 50+ people, and cleaned the hall after the meal.  The Lake Orion United Methodist church provides family style community meals and fellowship every Monday evening.  

More information and donation links can be found at Community Meals - United Methodist Church of Lake Orion.

Helping others in this holiday season, our team sponsored a canned food drive to help support Thanksgiving food requests, partnering with Grace Centers of Hope and the Lake Orion Lions Club.  In a little over two weeks were able to collect over 540 canned items to help those in need.

FANUC decided to invite use to their headquarters to learn more about what they do and how they do it we saw many different kinds of robots like painting robots wielding robots sorting robots and even a robot that could lift a car

We presented science experiments to families at our annual perish picnic. We did experiments representing chemical reactions, density, atmospheric pressure, and conductivity. Approximately 300 people attend the event throughout the afternoon.

The SAE Foundation supports SAE International’s award-winning A World In Motion® PreK-12 STEM education program, Collegiate Design Series™ (CDS), awards and SAE scholarships.  St. Josephs Robotics team presented SAE's jetcar toy and pinball demonstrator to executives from Honda, General Motors, Ford, and automotive suppliers.  This event raised over $325,000 for STEM programs and scientific outreach for schools.

We were honored to attend Team 2137 Robocats week zero event to learn more about their team and facilities. Additional FRC teams (5053 Lakers, 7211 Hollywood, 3175 Knight Vision, 2145 HAZMATS) along with the Robocats practiced their solutions to the Crescendo season theme.

The Mechamavs presented robotics to new and prospective students with the addition of a robotics exposition during the St. Joseph Church and School open house.  Approximately 100 attendees observed both FTC and FLL competition games and spoke with both teams to learn about our programs.  They also had the opportunity to drive two robots under the guidance of our drive team.