Team 449

The Blair Robot Project, Team 449, enlists students in designing, building, and programming robots for the US FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the team has competed in FRC every year since the team was founded in 2000, with the exception of 2005.

Through FIRST, the Blair Robot Project teaches students the technical skills that are involved in building and programming the robots, as well as skills that will serve the members in whatever career path they decide to take: teamwork, communication, and time management under pressure. Additionally, as team 449 is both student-run and mentor-advised, members have the opportunity to learn how to manage projects and create and implement designs in a professional manner.

The build season for FRC is only six and a half weeks long, which forces team members to manage their time and work together and provides an opportunity for our mentors to teach the students how best to approach a problem when development time is limited. During the even more intense stress of the competition itself, team members learn the necessity of sound designs and coordinated teamwork.

Outside of the build and competition seasons, we focus on increasing our team's visibility in our area. We routinely demonstrate our robots at various public events, both within our school and in the greater community. These outreach efforts not only allow us to spread interest in science and engineering, but also teach members good public speaking skills and help them attract other young people to science and engineering.