By Carly Hare, PR Officer, Code Red Robotics | ch20@icsd.k12.ny.us
Code Red Robotics at Ithaca High School is one of thousands of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) teams that compete in annual worldwide robotics competitions. Team 639 spends six weeks in the winter designing, machining, and programming a 100 pound robot to complete a specific challenge unique to that year. Code Red is excited to start our new year!
This year the team welcomed 28 new members and nearly 50 returning members back for the new season. Along with students, Code Red works with adult mentors from around the Ithaca community and school district who volunteer to help during build season.
While not building robots, Code Red prides itself on its connection with Ithaca. They host robot demonstrations, attend local STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) events, and encourage students to do their own individual volunteering. This summer alone the team logged 460 hours of volunteering through Code Red outreach events and otherwise helping the greater Ithaca community.
Last June, Code Red visited elementary schools across the district with their robot T-Red. The team got to show off T-Red to several classes at Caroline, Belle Sherman, South Hill, Enfield, and DeWitt Middle School. Through these robot demos Code Red hopes to inspire and encourage the younger generation to take an interest in STEAM. Kids got first-hand experience seeing what the robot could do, and a glimpse into the team’s design process.
“I think that it's incredibly meaningful that we’re able to show them what we’ve accomplished,” says Alex Elia, Code Red’s Community Outreach Coordinator: “They always get so excited when we come and it's great to show them that this is something that they have the potential to learn how to do and achieve themselves.”
On August 19, Code Red held a demo at the Sciencenter’s Science Connections program. There, they divided up into different stations to model each stage of our building process – design, machining/assembly, and programming. For example, children were asked to design a machine that could perform some task, and then use building supplies such as popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners to replicate their machine. T-Red was also on display for the families to observe.
Since the start of the school year, Code Red has continued its outreach work. On October 5, the team participated in the South Hill Elementary STEAM Open House, where they got to introduce more kids and their families to T-Red, and connect with other STEAM based organizations in Ithaca. A few days later on October 10, team members worked with the Friends of Stewart Park to trim back invasive plants, and clean up the waterfront. “It was a great experience for group bonding,” recalls Brownie Kumrampai, one of the Code Red members who volunteered at the event, “The work initially seemed like it would take a lot of time, but with a large group we were able to complete the task quickly and thoroughly.”
Code Red invited all the new, and some returning members to Nazareth University for the off season competition Rha Cha Cha Ruckus, hosted by FIRST Team 1511, otherwise know as Rolling Thunder on October 21. These off-season competitions use robots from the previous year and are an excellent way to introduce first year members to what FIRST Robotics Competitions are like. This year, thanks to the drive team and pit crew, Code Red was the eighth Seed Alliance Captain. One of the new members who attended Ruckus, Ash Parz says, “It was a really fun experience that helped me get to know the other members, and better introduced me to how FIRST Competitions function, as well as all the different ways to help out on the team.”
Last May, Code Red held elections and the votes are in! It is now led by: President Jennifer Zhao, Build Team Manager (Vice President) Jan Vanek-Raphaelidis, Treasurer Celene Sahoo, Administrator Shaine Wei, Public Relations Officer Carly Hare, and Community Outreach Coordinator Alex Elia.
FIRST Team Code Red Robotics thanks its sponsors for continued support: Rheonix, BorgWarner Morse TEC, BAE Systems, Cornell Institute for Computational Sustainability, Cornell Bowers College of Computing & Information Science, Cornell College of Engineering, Datapoint Labs, Duthie Orthodontics, Elwyn & Palmer Consulting Engineers, Finger Lakes Consulting, PLLC, Incodema, The IHS Class of 1951, Tompkins Trust Company, Vector Magnetics, ShipIndex.org, M&T Bank, ICSD, ICSD Board of Education, Ithaca High School, IPEI, and Ithaca Stem Advocates. Their support makes it possible for the team to operate and to foster a love of STEAM.
Code Red is an associate member of the IthacaSTEM Advocates, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), a non-for-profit organization that believes the education of every student in the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) is enhanced through community connections and support.
More information about Code Red can be found at our website https://www.team639.org/, or by emailing adviser Ian Krywe at ikrywe@icsd.k12.ny.us. For more information about FIRST robotics can be found at https://www.firstinspires.org/.