The Ethicon/Bound Brook H.S. partnership began with FIRST Robotics eleven years ago and was originally designed to be temporary. Ethicon's initial intention was to start additional teams. However, the focus became quality, not quantity and we developed a synergy that has remained incredibly strong throughout our ten year friendship. To date, Ethicon has provided over $200,000 in scholarship funds and helped BBHS with numerous enhancements both in and out of the classroom.

Team 56 was the first Johnson and Johnson team and the first team in New Jersey. We were instrumental in establishing the Mid-Atlantic Regional after staging a demonstration at the Liberty Science Center. This helped bring Johnson and Johnson support into the program. We also worked with three other teams to stage a match at Drexel University, a move that resulted in the formation of the Philadelphia Regional. Eleven years later, Team 56 continues to strive to promote science and technology.

Team 56 begins early in the school year with team-building activities, design challenges and community services to encourage communication between new members. During the six week build period, we meet at least three times a week and each meeting; students update each other as to what their sub teams achieved that day. After competitions, students continue with community services and participate in local post season competitions. Keeping active keeps the students interested and rentention high.

Team 56 has successfully expanded beyond the robotics program. Its involvement within the school includes: Project Lead the Way, Middle School Robotics, Bridge to Employment and the introduction of several engineering classes into the mainstream curriculum. Team 56 actively engages in ’giving back’ by volunteering community services such as raking for senior citizens, raising donations for the Salvation Army, computer training for community members and raising donations in times of need.

Our Mission

The mission of Team 56 is to incorporate the talents, experience and enthusiasm of the students of Bound Brook High School and the professionals of Ethicon to focus on solving the challenges presented by FIRST competitions. We recognize that every member of the team is important and contributes to the team’s success. We respect the talents of our competitors and we see every team as an ally in achieving the objectives of Team 56 and FIRST. Team 56 views integrity, professionalism, collaboration, and cooperation as the standards that guide our team.

The ROBBE Xtreme team tries to pass the concepts and goals of FIRST along to all the students and into other parts of the community. The team has given numerous robot demonstrations both in and out of the school district. Locally, we coordinated an Annual Robotics Day at the Somerset Patriots Baseball Stadium to promote the message of FIRST to a more diverse audience. In 2004 the team was featured on a nation-wide Discovery Channel program spotlighting the team’s achievements within FIRST.

What we do?

Team 56 exemplifies the characteristics needed to excel in the FIRST organization. As veterans, we respect the value of working hard to achieve while encouraging teamwork by assisting several other local teams. We have been recognized for our sportsmanship and technological innovations and are a model of integrity and professionalism. Year after year, we continue to represent the ideals of FIRST so that our gracious professionalism and etiquette are a consistent example for others to follow.

Students develop meaningful skills, such as informed creative thinking, collaborative teamwork, managing complex tasks, marketing skills, web-page and power point design, persuasive communication and game strategy. Students learn the value of helping others and feel rewarded and satisfied from initiating and performing these actions. In addition, students gain valuable insights into the world of work and form lasting relationships with individuals who are dedicated, caring professionals.