FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is all about changing our culture to one that celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. FIRST inspires and prepares young people to become the engineers and technology leaders our country needs to stay secure and competitive! The competitions we attend will encourage and equip our students to step up to the challenge that Garrett County and our nation faces!

FIRST helps student members grow, learn more, and achieve more – preparing them to be the “World Class” engineers of the future and inspire other young people to pursue engineering careers. FIRST offers more that nine million dollars in scholarship opportunities to FRC students.

 

Our team (1629) has a proud tradition of competition, four times being invited to compete at the world championships in Atlanta and twice the recipient of the “Engineering Inspiration” award - only about one in ten FRC (FIRST Robotics Competiton) teams receives this honor!  It is incumbent on current members to carry on and build on this tremendous success.

 

Ensure our Partners and Sponsors receive the recognition they deserve. Without their support and local community enthusiasm, GaCo Team 1629 would not exist! 

Nineteen students, split between Southern (11) and Northern (8) High Schools. Out of the nineteen, three are female. Class breakdown - five are seniors, four are juniors, eight are sophomores, and two are freshman.  See Members for more information.

 

The 2010 season marks the sixth year Team 1629 has competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

 

Team 1629 plans on competing in two regional events in 2010...

 

• Chesapeake Regional - Baltimore, MD
• We won the Chairman's Award!!
• That qualifies us for the World Championships in Atlanta!
• Buckeye Regional - Cleveland, OH
• We won the Engineering Excellence Award!
• Made it to the semi finals
• FIRST World Championships - Atlanta, GA
• Archimedes Division
• The team and robot performed well!
• Unfortunately, we did not move into the elimination rounds.

2009 Awards received – Xerox Creativity Award (Pittsburgh), and the Engineering Inspiration Award (Pittsburgh). Winning the Engineering Inspiration Award earned the team a spot to compete at the FRC World Championship in Atlanta. The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates a team’s outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school as well as their community. Criteria include: the extent and inventiveness of the team’s efforts to recruit students to engineering, the extent and effectiveness of the team’s community outreach efforts, and the measurable success of those efforts.