MCC and FIRST Robotics: Building Future Engineers and Technicians

Team Up Next (3528) posing in one of the classrooms they are using at MCC-Business & Technology Campus during the 2011 FIRST build season.  The 13 home-school students have designed a robot that will defend the field rather than score points at FIRST robotics regional competition March 10, 11, & 12.

FIRST robotics is a nation-wide varsity sport in science.  Its goal is to inspire young people to be math, engineering, science and technology leaders through the intensive, deadline-driven process of building a competitive robot.

“It is the bonding of personalities and lifelong friendships, not channel iron and electronic circuits, that make FIRST such a special experience for our participants, volunteers, and sponsors,” said Robert Dumler, FIRST regional planning committee member and MCC-Business & Technology engineering technology instructor.  

“This process of designing and building a functioning robot in six weeks does so much more than teach high school students about mechanics or electronics.  When the team depends on YOU to pull YOUR weight and complete YOUR piece of the plan, then we start getting into lessons of accountability and professionalism,” added Dumler.  “It is very hard to write curriculum to teach accountability!”

A CAD drawing created in the BTC labs of team Up Next's robot, The Great Defender.

Nationally, more than 2,000 teams compete in FIRST.  The Kansas and Western Missouri region hosts 51 teams, one of which calls MCC-BTC home.

Team Up Next (3528) is made up of 13 home-school students in the KC area who use the BTC campus and faculties as their meeting and robot building location. 

This is the charter year for team 3528 and the first year an MCC campus has sponsored a FIRST team. 

“Access to all this great equipment is amazing!, says Ben Smith, Up Next member.  “It is so cool to design a piece or a bracket upstairs and then machine the part downstairs.  Other teams should be jealous of us – we’ve used welding, machining, prototype printers, and all the software to design our parts.”

To view more pictures, videos and information about team Up Next visit their website - TeamUpNext.com.  Get a sneak preview of the robot here.

The build period for all FIRST teams will end Tuesday February 22, otherwise known as “Bag and Tag” day.  Teams across the nation are required to stop construction and prepare their robot for transport to regional competitions. 

Team Up Next and other area teams will compete in regionals March 10, 11, and 12 at Hale Arena.  Admission is free, the atmosphere is cheerfully tense, and the competition is heart wrenching.

At the competition, teams will unpack their robots, make final adjustments, get assigned to a three-team alliance, and compete in this year’s game called, Logomotion.  See an animation of the game at the bottom of the page.


All MCC employees are encouraged to attend FIRST Regional Competition March 10, 11, 12 at Hale Arena.  Admission is free but expect to pay Kemper Parking.     Learn more about KC regional competition here -  www.kcfirst.org.  For information about volunteering, contact Misty Chandler.

Metropolitan Community College recognizes the importance of FIRST.   MCC sponsors regional competition, provides scholarships to FIRST team members, and MCC employees dedicate countless hours to the success of FIRST robotics.
See a list below of MCC contributions and volunteers:

MCC sponsors the 2011 FIRST regionals at the $2,000 level

MCC-Maple Woods FIRST Scholarship
     Two FIRST team members receive two-years of full-tuition

MCC-BTC FIRST Scholarship
     One FIRST team member receives a $500 scholarship

MCC-BTC hosts team UP Next for 2011 build season
     Special thanks to MCC-BTC’s own Joe Roche, David Hawkins, Tom Wheeler, and Jennifer Dec who dedicated and donated multiple hours mentoring team 3528


Misty Chandler – Maple Woods College Relations Coordinator
     FIRST regional Special Events, Higher Education, and Robot Inspection committees

Robert Dumler – BTC Engineering Technology instructor
     First regional Team Development and Field Setup committee and head Referee for KC region

Karly Schmidt – Maple Woods Admission Coordinator
     First regional Higher Education committee and presenter on Scholarship Row

Steve Dowell – BTC FabLab Coordinator & Precision Machining instructor
     First regional on-site machining and production assistance all three days of competition

Joe Roche - BTC Industrial & Engineering Technology instructor
     Team 3528 mentor specializing in electronics and programming

David Hawkins - BTC Precision Machining Laboratory Technician
     Team 3528 mentor specializing in precision machining

Jennifer Dec - BTC FabLab Technician
     Team 3528 mentor specializing in design and fabrication

Tom Wheeler - BTC Dean of Instruction
     Team 3528 mentor specializing in electronics and programming