Youth Initiatives
Code 'n Cupcakes
Code 'N Cupcakes is a one-week STEM camp created and led by ORF, specifically designed for middle school girls. The camp offers a hands-on learning experience, with activities such as spot welding, metalworking, programming, and building REV robots. The goal is to provide young girls the chance to explore and develop skills in these fields while working closely with ORF team members who mentor and guide them through each activity.
The camp is divided into two main sections. In the first, campers work in teams to build and program REV robots, competing in a custom FTC game created by ORF. In the second portion, they learn metalworking techniques, including bending and spot-welding metal to create their own custom metal boxes. Throughout the camp, participants are given a tour of ORF’s workshop and competition robot, where they can see firsthand the tools and technology used by our team.
ORF members design, teach, and run this camp every year at our home base, where we also encourage the girls to explore other FIRST robotics programs like FLL and FTC, with the possibility of joining ORF for FRC in the future. True to the camp's name, we reward the students for their hard work and dedication with delicious cupcakes!
Camp Khitomer
In the summer of 2023 and 2024, We hosted our brand new 5-day summer camp called Camp Khitomer. Camp Khitomer was for middle schoolers who design, build, and programmed their own FTC robots using REV kits to compete in our custom-made FTC games. We had 5 teams of 4 middle schoolers, with ORF students acting as mentors, all competing for the title of the Khitomer Champions.
Camp Khitomer Jr
Our Junior Camp is designed for elementary school students, where they build and program exciting yet simpler robots using Lego EV3 kits. At the end of the week, the campers compete in a fun tournament showcasing their creations. Each day, the students work for 6 hours alongside ORF mentors, designing and refining their robots. We had a great time teaching them about engineering, robot design, and gracious professionalism! The camp ignited a passion for robotics in the kids, and over 50% of the campers went on to join an ORF-mentored FLL team in the fall.
Winter Khitomer
On December 26-28, 2024, we were more than happy to host a 3-day workshop where we invited kids to build robots using LEGO EV3 Mindstorms kits and modifying them to their taste. These kids were given the opportunity to learn how to build and code these robots and put their knowledge to the test with a tournament.
At ORF, we want to be actively engaged with our local community and spread awareness of what it means to work with robots. We also want younger minds to be exposed to some of our own team core values such as, but not limited to, teamwork, creativity and imagination, diversity, and last, but not least, gracious professionalism, which is a concept that is strongly encouraged by FIRST.
L.P. Brown STEM Fair
In 2023, ORF had the honor of attending the L.P. Brown STEAM Fair, hosted by L.P. Brown Elementary School in our district. We set up a booth to introduce elementary students and their families to the exciting world of robotics. Our team showcased our Rapid React robot, Mugato, giving kids the chance to experience the thrill of driving an FRC robot. The children were curious and eager to learn, asking insightful questions about the robot's capabilities. Parents enjoyed seeing their children interact with robotics and many were inspired to inquire about robotics opportunities for younger kids, which allowed us to promote our FLL and FTC summer camps. In addition to the FRC robot, we set up an FTC field where kids could try driving FTC robots, which was met with great enthusiasm from both children and parents. Through this event, we connected with over 300 members of the community, sparking new interest in FRC and FIRST.
Boston Harbor STEM Night
Similar to the L.P. Brown STEAM Fair, ORF was invited to Boston Harbor Elementary School’s 4th Annual Family STEAM Night in our district. Along with our FLL teams that we mentor and the FTC teams we assist, we attended the event to expose elementary students to various levels of robotics. This experience inspired many kids to imagine themselves building and coding robots in their future middle and high school years. Over 200 children and their parents were introduced to the world of robotics, learning how they can get involved in FIRST programs and participate in our camps!
Centennial Carnival
In 2023, ORF was invited to set up a robotics stand at Centennial Elementary School’s annual Spring Carnival. We partnered with two FTC teams for the event, where over 200 children had the opportunity to drive simple FTC robots, use the ball shooter on our 2022 competition robot, and engage in mini FLL activities with Legos. We also displayed posters showcasing our local outreach efforts for parents to explore. The parents were impressed by the extensive outreach our team has done and were excited to learn how their children could get involved in robotics!
Middle School and High School Demos
Each year, ORF visits four district middle schools, where we demonstrate our FRC robot and highlight the benefits of FIRST robotics to approximately 124 students per day, over the course of 1-2 days at each school. In total, ORF reaches around 744 students, and 60% of ORF members report that seeing these demonstrations influenced their decision to join the program. The presentations also inspire students to explore other robotics programs such as FTC and CTE classes. ORF provides unique opportunities for hands-on experience, exploration of STEM fields, and involvement in a supportive community. Additionally, we attend three high school club fairs in our district to share the same message and encourage further participation in robotics.
Spring Open House
Every year, ORF invites interested middle and high school students, along with their parents, to our home base to learn more about how they can join a local FIRST program. We host our Open House in partnership with three FTC teams, showcasing the variety of FIRST programs available for students to join. During the event, students have the chance to participate in various hands-on stations, such as CAD, fabrication, and robot operation, providing them with a glimpse into what it’s like to be an ORF member. Typically, 20-30 students attend each event, and over 60% of Open House participants go on to become ORF members the following year.
Lacey Makerspace Adaptathon
ORF has partnered twice with four FTC teams—two from Olympia High School and two from North Thurston High School—to modify toys for greater accessibility for neurodivergent children. The modification involved adding larger buttons to make the toys easier to operate. The event took place over two days at the Lacey MakerSpace, where students worked on 20 different toys during their 3-hour shifts. Thanks to this collaboration, the modified toys were delivered to families just in time for Christmas, improving accessibility for over 30 children.
Unified Robotics
This season, ORF mentored three Unified Robotics teams, supporting 10 kids with special needs. Over the course of two months, we guided the students in building and programming a Lego robot while teaching them how it functions. Additionally, we made the basic programming code more accessible by modifying it to better suit the kids' needs. The Unified Robotics season ran from early October to November, and the students had a fantastic time competing in the Unified Robotics competition. Throughout the experience, they developed a passion for engineering and robotics!
Battle Bots
In January of 2023 and 2024, ORF partnered with two FTC teams to host the Battle Bots competition at Olympia High School, bringing together 21 Battle Bots teams. To make the event even more exciting, we created two arenas for the metal and plastic-based robots to battle in, with help from 10 ORF students. Alongside the thrilling robot battles, ORF members ran concession stands for attendees. The event was a great success, uniting robotics enthusiasts from various schools and organizations for a day of competition and fun!
South Sound Invitational
Every year, ORF hosts and leads the South Sound Invitational, a mock offseason competition attended by 28 FLL and FTC teams. The event was originally founded by lead mentor Brenda before ORF’s formation, but with ORF’s involvement, the South Sound Invitational has expanded to include a variety of competitions. These include Dragsters, Sumo Bot, and NIMBY for FLL teams, as well as a student-designed bowling minigame for FTC teams. The event culminates in an awards ceremony, where teams are recognized for their efforts. With ORF’s support, the South Sound Invitational provides teams with a platform to compete, collaborate, and learn from one another.
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
In March 2024, ORF visited Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center in Olympia, WA, to bring the excitement of robotics to young patients! We brought competition robots from our two mentored FTC teams, along with part of the FTC Centerstage Field, allowing the children to experience the various capabilities of an FTC robot. Over the course of the visit, we interacted with 25+ patients, giving them the chance to operate FTC robots by launching airplanes, scoring pixels, and climbing. Almost all of the kids showed interest in robotics, prompting us to share information with their parents about our upcoming camps: Code ‘N Cupcakes and Camp Khitomer. We look forward to partnering with Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital again in the future to spread the joy of robotics to even more patients during challenging times.
Hands-On Children's Museum
Each spring, ORF partners with two FTC teams to visit the Hands-On Children's Museum in Olympia, where we introduce children to the exciting world of robotics and STEM. Our goal is to inspire and educate kids about these fields in a fun and engaging way, sparking their curiosity and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, we aim to make STEM both accessible and exciting for the next generation of innovators!
During this event, we showcased a variety of robotics projects and provided interactive demonstrations for the children. In 2023, we engaged with 214 kids and informed 153 parents about the impact of FIRST and how their children can get involved. This allowed us to spark curiosity and inspire interest in FIRST teams within their local communities, helping to expand awareness and participation in robotics programs.
McLane Robot Demo
In March 2024, ORF hosted an assembly at McLane Elementary School in the Olympia School District (OSD) to engage over 400 K-5 students with robotics! Since the students were about to begin reading the book *The Wild Robot*, we seized the opportunity to showcase our own competition robot and share information about how they could build one too. The kids had a blast watching our robot shoot balls and were excited by the possibility of getting involved in robotics. Many were inspired to sign up for our upcoming summer camp, Camp Khitomer, to continue their exploration of robotics and STEM!