Congratulations to the SD 308 robotics team, 2338 Gear It Forward for being awarded the most prestigious award in all of FIRST Robotics, the Chairman’s Award, at its most recent competition and for also having qualified as a team for a spot to compete at the upcoming World Competition in Houston, Texas (April 20-23). The team also finished fourth in the robot games, setting a 2022 season win record.
The Chairman’s Award is reserved for teams that most exemplify the principles of outreach, equity, and inclusion and reflect sustained excellence and impact within not only the FIRST community but also in its own community and beyond. Teams who earn this award act as ambassadors by sharing their legacy as Hall of Fame members and represent a model for other teams to emulate the mission of FIRST.
FIRST works as a community to prepare young people for a STEM future and aims to ensure its programs have a lasting, positive impact. Even with just one year of participation, participants are 2-3xs more likely to have gains in STEM outcomes compared to a comparison group of peers not participating in FIRST.
To best understand what 2338 Gear It Forward has done to earn the distinction of The Chairman’s Award, please watch this video. It is also worth noting that it is through this team’s efforts that the 3rd Friday in March in Illinois is celebrated as Illinois First Robotics Day! Congratulations to this team and its coaches for being among the best in the country year after year.
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