As our 12th year within the FIRST Robotics Competition, our team values and respects the need to ‘give back’. The following is an example of some of the activities our team has participated in during our twelve year partnership with Ethicon starting with our present year going back five years. Therefore, all services/activities listed have been accomplished by an active member on our team.

2007-2008 Robotics Season:

·Fall Clean-up:

The students gathered together to go around the community to help the elderly rake their homes.

·Library technology showing:

The student promoted the message of first and explained what team 56 was about. In addition, a robot from prior years was driven in displaying the finish of our labor. We also allowed audience members to drive the robot and answered many of their questions.

·Other Community Service:

Members who were not able to attend the fall clean up where asked to supplement their necessary community service hours by completing other community services such as:
- Volunteering at the Fire Dep. House #1

- Volunteering at the Somerset Medical Center

- Walked for Breast Cancer

- Cooked for the homeless

-Dropped food off at the homeless shelter

-Volunteered at the Borough of Watching Department of Public Workers

- Volunteered with church services

- Volunteered at Middle Earth

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2006-2007 Robotics Season:

· Cub Scout Day

During one of our Saturday meetings, our team invited den 43, to have day filled with exciting and informative demonstrations as well as hands-on activities such as operating our championship 2005 robot around different obstacle courses. The Scouts had a wonderful time and we were told that they were still telling everyone they met about their time with the team. We received numerous emails and calls from parents thanking us for teaching their children more about science and technology. During the month of April, the team will also participate in Ethicon's "Bring-your-child-to-work-day". On that day, the team passes out information about FIRST and promotes the creation of new teams by means of demonstrations and showing robotics movies. The team volunteers for this activity every year. During that activity last year, two girls that attended the demonstration decided to help initiate a VEX team in their community. That team has already won a regional event this year.

· Fall Clean-up day.

Students reached out to elderly members of our community by helping racking their leaves and performing other tasks that they were unable to do.

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2005-2006 Robotics Season:

· Computer Training for Senior Citizens

Once a week during most of the 2005-2006 Robotics Season, students volunteered their time to provide computer training services to senior citizens of Somerset County. Students not only provided basic instruction but helped individuals design and create letterheads, fax cover letters and documents as needed and requested.

· Fall Rake Cleaning for Senior Citizens

Students expanded the prior year's fall rake-cleaning by reaching out to homes in all of Somerset County, not just Bound Brook. Students also helped with small household tasks that the elderly asked of us. Students really enjoyed helping people perform tasks that they were unable to do themselves...very rewarding!

· Donations rose for the Salvation Army

Four car loads of items were donated to the local Salvation Army drop (receipt obtained for documentation). Items included clothes, baby items/ furniture, educational supplies, toys/games and household decorations.

· Mentoring Local Teams

Assisted members of Team 1626, Falcon Robotics from St. Josephs High School in Metuchen, a second year team seeking help with idea generation for ball pickup, ball handling and ball shooting.

· Starting New Teams

Alumni members at The College of New Jersey are working with local Ewing High School to begin a Robotics program. This includes courses taught within the high school as curriculum enhancements as well as college level courses focused on participation in FIRST.

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2004-2005 Robotics Season:

· Senior Citizen Fall Clean Up Day

This event involved high school team members raking several elderly or disabled citizen’s houses in Bound Brook.

Best Moment: When an elderly woman came out of her house with a four-pronged miniature rake. She said we were working so hard she wanted to help despite her injured wrist (her husband has cancer). Two students found a way to get her back into the house safely so that we could finish without worrying. Her smile and thank you letter warmed us up on that cold day!

· Tsunami Dress Down Day

Our team initiated a teacher dress down day to raise money towards the tsunami recovery relief fund.

· Robotics Day at Somerset Patriots and Canned Food Drive.

Team 56 coordinated the 1st Annual Robotics Patriots Day in June. Five local teams joined us to spread the message of FIRST (Gracious Professionalism) and to encourage young children into the fields of Science and Technology. With safety as a top priority, interested young minds received the opportunity to drive a robot and learn about robot design.

· Team Mentoring

We have assisted other FIRST teams with their robot (e.g. Immaculata and St. Joseph's). We are trying to help the FIRST organization reach their 50 new teams goal by ’05 in New Jersey.

· 1st Annual Robotics Demo Day at Bound Brook High School

Students organized a demonstration at our high school for all school in the district to enjoy a presentation/demonstration on FIRST Robotics. Some students were only five years old...never too early to get involved in FIRST!

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2003-2004 Robotics Season:

· 1st Annual Robotics Demo Day at Bound Brook High School

BBHS Robotics students prepared and presented a robot demo demonstration that involved promoting science and technology to the elementary students from the Bound Brook School District.

· Discovery Channel Feature

Because of our team's success and good sportsmanship, Team 56 was chosen out of over 1000 teams to be featured on the Discovery Science Channel in a one hour episode about FIRST. Our team represented Bound Brook High School and ETHICON nation-wide and has since then received a lot of positive feedback!

· Mentoring teams

After viewing the Discovery Channel program on FIRST featuring Team 56, several schools/students contacted our team seeking help in starting a FIRST team. Currently, we are in the process helping Princeton Day School. Our help involves finding interested teachers, students and sponsors to fund the team for the upcoming season.

· Huntington’s Disease Society Donation

Team members fundraised to donate to the Huntington’s Disease Society in efforts to help raise money to find a cure/treatment for this neurological degenerative disease.

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2002-2003 Robotics Season:

· "R is for Robot"

Students visited local primary schools to help handicap Pre-Kindergarten students learn their letter “R”

Best Moment: Seeing every kid smile and clap for our RoBBE!

· Canned Food Drive

Students organized a canned food drive in the school to help the local food bank after they heard that the donated food supply for Somerset County was low and in need of support.

· Ethicon Blood Drive

Students helped recruit volunteers to help keep our blood banks at a safe level.

· Robot Demonstration at Mercedes Benz picnic in Northern NJ (Montague)

As requested by Mercedes Benz, Team 56 demonstrated our robot to help excite Mercedes Benz into the world of FIRST.