FINANCIAL SPONSORS Provide TIME (volunteer), TALENT (in-kind contributions of parts or services), TREASURE (funds), and/or TRAINING (including summer internships) for our students.
For the third year
DS Solidworks Corp donates to Aldernating Current students licenses to use Solidworks Computer-Aided-Design Mechanical, Electrical and Composer software, each valued at $80,000.
For the fourth year,
Shelton High School and District
is our primary partner, providing us with meeting and storage space,
and access to wood, metal, weld, and auto shops, and drafting room. The
district Career Technology Education (CTE) department recruited Coach Wright (math teacher), and
provides transportation to local competitions. In 2017 students raised travel funds through car washes and operating the concessions stand at Shelton High soccer games. During 2015-2016, CTE invested $10,000 capital primarily for robot parts and tools.
Onshape is a collaborative Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) software project. Using Onshape students designed supports for a gear climber in January and a robot cart in the fall. The six seat licenses are valued at $1500 each. Total donation value is $9000.
In 2017
OSPI awarded the Shelton High Robotics Club (ASB) a $6650 grant. Funds are applied towards our $10,866 entry fee in the Pacific Northwest District of FIRST Robotics Competition. In 2016 OSPI awarded us a $5670 grant. In 2015 OSPI awarded us a $4900 grant. The Washington State legislature is considering the 2017-2019 state funding level.
In 2017
Advanced Equipment Company donated a $5600 value towards the team's championship season via a practice facility and cash. In four of the eleven days before bag and tag, the team practiced 81 matches at the Advanced Equipment Tumwater warehouse, 25 minutes from Shelton High School. This enabled students to modify their competition robot "Juniper" and to be the #1 team midway through their first competition at Mount Vernon. Since 1978, Advance Equipment Company has worked to develop and perfect downstream equipment for the PVC pipe industry.
For the third year in a row the
Community Foundation of South Puget Sound awarded Aldernating Current a $5000 grant. In 2015 Team 4450 "Olympia Robotics Federation" invited us to apply for a dual grant from the Foundation. Since 1989 the Foundation supports local non-profits in Mason, Thurston,
and Lewis counties. In 2014 the foundation awarded $887,000 in grants; $100,000 went to Youth Development.
Dragonfly Media North West photographed, interviewed, and videoed Team 5295 for an audio-visual story about the team's recent success; from 35th at our 2016 Auburn competition to playoff Alliance Captain #7 at the 2017 Mount Vernon competition. These professional services are valued at $4000.
Google donated $2500 towards our 2017 entry fee. Since 2014, Google provides server space to host our email frcteam5295@gmail.com and website
http://frcteam5295aldernatingcurrent.blogspot.com/.
On March 17th, the Skokomish Tribe awarded FIRST Washington $2000 to benefit three FIRST robotic teams in the Shelton School District.
FIRST Washington [Robotics] awarded us a $1500 grant in 2017 and a $2000 grant in 2016. FIRSTWA.org inspires Washington State youth by engaging them in exciting mentor-based
FIRST programs that build science, technology and engineering skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
In a collaborative effort
H2O JET trimmed aluminum plate donated by Taylor Shellfish Farms to the shape designed by Shelton High School student Tristin. The parts support the climber on the 2017 competition robot "Juniper". Students name robots after trees.
For the 2016-2017 seasons the
Green Diamond Fund
awarded Aldernating Current a two-year grant of $2000 for a "Common
Robotics Pit at North Mason High and Shelton High for Team 5295".
Oakland Bay Landscape Services donated: manufacturing know-how; metal tubing and frame welding for the robot cart; construction of the red half of our practice field using Pro-Build donated lumber, and a graphic artist to convert the students' new logo sketch to camera ready artwork; and food to feed curious minds.
4-H Youth Development of Mason County is Aldernating Current's oldest community sponsor joining shortly after our November 11, 2013 birthday. In March, the 4-H General Council pledged $1100 towards travel expenses should the robotics team qualify for the Pacific Northwest Championship in Spokane. 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults.
4-H Robotics Our
sister 4-H Grays Harbor Team 11121 Fishing Business Incorporated (F.B.I.) qualified for the World Championship in Houston April 19-23.
Diamond Technology Innovations of north Olympia provides Aldernating Current with in-kind machining of detail parts for our competition robot. DTI is the only U.S. firm maching precision orifices from ruby, sapphires, and diamonds (hardest material on earth) for use in industrial manufacturing. Shelton Team 5295 "Aldernating Current" and Team 4450 "Olympia Robotics Federation" visited DTI in December 2016 and 2015.
For two years, the Shelton
Pro-Build (114 E. Cedar St, Shelton WA 98584, 360-426-2611) donated lumber and supplies to build a practice court. Students perfect their robot before their first match. In 2017
Oakland Bay Landscape Services volunteer K.Hansen built a red airship and feed station while students built a rope climb, gear feeder and a low boiler. In 2016 volunteers and the Shelton High wood shop built the practice hardware.
The Tumwater
Fastenal
(2733 Crites St SW, Tumwater WA 98512, 360-352-7128) donates 80/20
extrusion stock, joints and fasteners our students use to build the
robot frame.
Through Washington FIRST Robotics,
F5 Networks donated $500 towards our 2017 and 2016 registration fees. F5 Networks
provides hardware, software, and virtual solutions help organizations address the relentless growth of voice, data, and video traffic.
BlackStarPrint.com has sponsored Team 5295 since our rookie year in 2014. With substantial discounts on set-up on our tee-shirts, free banner and free stickers, the staff is extremely helpful. In early March BlackStar turned a student sketch into our new logo shown in the above banner. For custom apparel, they turn student ideas into real marketing emblems.
For the fourth year,
Taylor Shellfish Farms (retail store 130 SE Lynch Road, Shelton WA 98584, 360-426-3300) provides Aldernating Current with raw aluminum stock (plate and extrusions) our students use to build our competition robot. The Taylor family is proud to grow high quality clams, oysters, mussels, and
geoducks straight from tidelands across Western Washington and British
Columbia.
Mason County Public Utility District offers non-profits free use of its auditorium. During the summer of 2016 4-H volunteer D.Rankin taught students
Onshape computer-aided-design. Using Onshape, Jaeden led the student design of the robot cart and Tristin led the student design of the 2017 climber.
National Instruments gives a substantial $464 discount to FIRST Robotic Teams on its
roboRIO. This is the robot brain that executes the program code students write.
ANDREW HOSPADOR, an electrical engineer, volunteers his time and money for the Shelton High Robotics Team. His background in process troubleshooting assists students building power and control circuits. In 2017 and 2016 he donated parts and food to the team.
ALAN WALKER PE, a volunteer and Shelton High graduate, donates (since 2014) his time and money to the Shelton High Robotics Team competing as 4-H
FIRST Team 5295 "Aldernating Current". As a contract
engineer, he designs, retrofits, and repairs aircraft structures.
For four years
BIMBA donates pneumatic air cylinder rams to the Shelton High Robotics Team.
AlphaTest.com donated $100 to the team. AlphaTest develops and manufactures small probes for the electronics industry. Owner Sandy Tarzwell is a board member of the Shelton School District.
AndyMark.com sells parts that FIRST Robotic Competition teams use to build robots. AndyMark via its FIRST Choice coordinates the annual draft of $860 worth of robot parts to 3400 teams.
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KNOWLEDGE SPONSORS Aldernating Current seeks to copy the best practices of successful teams.
Team 4450 Olympia Robotics Federation helped create us and continually shares successful local collaboration strategies. Team 4450 (rookie year 2013) attended World Championships 2016, 2015 & 2013. In 2017 the Shelton team build the red half of a practice court while the Olympia team built the blue half. The teams practice together at an
Advanced Equipment warehouse at Mottman Industrial Park in Tumwater.
Team 230 Gaelhawks of Shelton High School in Shelton, Connecticut shares two decades of what works best. Team 230 (rookie year 1999) attends the World Championship often, most recently in 2016 & 2015.
Since Team 5295's 2014 rookie season,
4-H Team 3574 High Tekerz of Tuwila, Washington sponsors Aldernating Current's safety program. Our student safety captains modify and implement the safety program. In our rookie year Aldernating Current won Hard Hat Pins, awarded to the runner-up of the Underwriters Laboratory Industrial Safety Award (Team 3574 won this at the 2012 Seattle Regional). Team 3574 (rookie year 2013) attended the World Championship in 2015 & 2013.
