Our Mission | Our Impact | Team History

Our Mission

DOCERE, DISCERE, INCITARE, Latin for "To Teach," "To Learn," and "To Inspire!"  These are the guiding principles of our team, and we try to relate everything we do back to these three words.

 

Docere (To Teach) - For team members to educate

• Students mentoring robotics programs in the younger grades

• Mentors sharing technical know-how

• Every team member educating the community about the importance of S.T.E.M. and our FIRST Robotics Team

 

Discere (To Learn) - For team members to grow as individuals

• Students taking the initiative and demonstrating ownership and leadership

• Mentors encouraging students to take risks and establishing a penalty-free environment

• Every team member holding a desire to give back and see each other succeed at all endeavors

 

Incitare (To Inspire) - For team members to change the culture of the community

• Students demonstrating to their peers that S.T.E.M. can be fun and rewarding

• Mentors providing insight into real-world challenges and careers

• Every team embracing diversity, improving leadership skills, and growing confidence in one's abilities

 

Our Impact

• Over 400 BBHS students have participated on the team since its inception in 1997

• Spread the word of FIRST to over 15,500 people

• Community events helped more than 400 families by providing them with food, clothing, and toys

• Started not one but three FLL teams in our middle school ran by team members

• We direct 3 S.T.E.A.M programs

• Reached out to 105 businesses in the last 2 years

 

Read more about the impact we have had on some our alumni!

 

Team History

The story begins in 1997 when the suggestion of having a robotics team was mentioned at Ethicon. The idea stuck, and Ethicon began to search for schools in need of a robotics team.  Ultimately, Ethicon decided that our town, Bound Brook, NJ would benefit most from the team they were aiming to create.  With only nine members, we became what is now known as Team 56 R.O.B.B.E.  In our first full season as a rookie team, we placed third in the Johnson & Johnson Mid-Atlantic Regional and won the Team Spirit Award. Since then, our team has gone on to win countless competitions and awards for Sportsmanship, Innovation in Control Systems, Team Imagery, Judges Awards, and Overall Quality Awards.

 

At first glance, it would seem as if R.O.B.B.E.’s history is only marked by our competition allocates, but we are a family made of students, alumni, teachers, and mentors that endlessly work to instill the mission of FIRST in all participants.  After twenty years, we can proudly say that R.O.B.B.E. has been working hard to better Bound Brook and the surrounding community.

 

Today we are one of over 70 FRC teams from New Jersey, and one of more than a dozen sponsored by the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. FIRST, FRC, and R.O.B.B.E. have all grown significantly since 1997.  We have developed into a well known and respected FRC teams, but that doesn't mean we don't face challenges. It is not just about our team’s rich history, but also our team’s promising future.  We started a new chapter in the story of Team 56, R.O.B.B.E. in the 2014-2015 season with efforts focused on engaging the community.  Every now and then we have to stop and take a look at where we came from and what we have achieved over the years to get us to where we are today.