Title
Reognizing and celebrating The Robolancers on qualyfying for the World Championship.
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The Council of the City of Philadelphia is pleased and proud to recognize and celebrate the Robo Lancers of Central High School on qualifying for the World Championship for the second time in the team's history.
WHEREAS, Founded in 1999, the RoboLancers have grown from a five student FIRST robotics team, to a multi-faceted program of more than 112 students; and
WHEREAS, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a program created by Dean Kamen to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders. The program consists of four separate competitions: FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Lego League and Jr. FIRST Lego League; and
WHEREAS, The RoboLancers have three FIRST teams: First Robotics Competition 321, FIRST Tech Challenge Team 5320 and First Tech Challenge Team 6676, which participate in multiple outreach events including: Philly Tech Week's arcade at Dilworth, Philly Science Festivals' Science Carnival on the Parkway, Tesla Science Foundation's Tesla Days: Energy Independence Celebration, and the Rockwell Automation Fair; and
WHEREAS, The RoboLancers support STEM Education and FIRST Robotics in Philadelphia through their outreach. They support other Philadelphia FIRST robotics teams through micro-grants, providing student mentors, and sharing their build space and resources with other robotics teams. They provide students as volunteers for the Penn FLL Championship; and
WHEREAS, The RoboLancers have also hosted a Jr. F Lego League and FIRST Lego League qualifier in Central High School's gym this year. They have held an annual FTC scrimmages and a President's Day, Day of Build, to allow robotics teams in Philadelphia to get assistance from the RoboLancers and to build in a day when they would not usually be able to build on. The RoboLancers have also hosted the FTC Philly Championship for the past two years; and
WHEREAS, The RoboLancers received a number of awards in 2015: Chairmans Award at Upper Darby District Event, Chairmans Award at Mid-Atlantic Robotics District Championship, Creativity Award sponsored by Xerox, Gracious Professionalism Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. The Chairmans Award it the highest honor FIRST bestows on a team and is in recognition of the RoboLancers' dedication to spreading STEM education, their outreach to the community, their support of other teams and their educational programming; and
WHEREAS, 2015 was the second year in which the RoboLancers qualified for the World Championship and was their most successful year as a team and have represented FIRST internationally in The Sum of Its Parts, a documentary about the scientists, artists, and students who build robots; and
WHEREAS, The Associated Alumni of Central High School, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Joan and Bernard Spain (198), Comcast, McKean Defense, Central High School Home and School Association, The Gift of Life Foundation, and the PTC all helped the RoboLancers raise money, which allowed them to travel to St. Louis for the World Championships; and
WHEREAS, The RoboLancers not only focus on their robots in the classroom, but have also been leaders in advocating for more school funding outside of the classroom, as they have seen the importance of receiving a quality education; and
WHEREAS, The Robo Lancers hard work and dedication has been a permanent and positive influence at Central High School and throughout the community, and are held in high esteem by all. The RoboLancers have made a positive impact on the many people who have been impacted by this organization; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes and celebrates the outstanding service that the RoboLancers have dedicated Central High School and community, and congratulating them on qualifying for the World Championship for the second time in the team's history.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be sent to the RoboLancers of Central High School, as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body.
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