Founded at Fairport High School in 1997, Team 578 has worked hard to continuously improve in every aspect of the FIRST® program. Although the team changed since its inception; name changes, sponsor changes and philosophical shifts over the years, Team 578 has always built on their experience and knowledge from the previous years to create a competitive robot.
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Proudly sponsored by numerous businesses & corporations as well as local suppliers, the team would not be able to have its successes without the generous support of the Fairport Central School District and the Fairport community.
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Fairport Robotics, and specifically Team 578, is  comprised of high school students from Fairport High School who choose to participate in the FIRST® Robotics Competition. The purpose of Fairport Robotics is to introduce students to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Marketing, Fund Raising and Art (STEAM). This is accomplished by having the students work side-by-side with mentors from a wide variety of technological and business disciplines. These mentors are experts in their fields and bring a wealth of information, guidance and expertise to all team activities. Engineers, skilled craftsmen, computer professionals, and others provide direct guidance to the students so that the students can confidently complete the tasks that they are given.
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While building a robot seems to be the centerpiece of the team's efforts, it is not the sole focus. During the fall, spring & summer seasons, students volunteer for numerous community service activities and mentoring opportunities to help support our community and younger robotics programs in the school district. Additionally, workshops are held so that students can fine-tune their skills and participate in one or more sub-teams to contribute to the overall success of the team. These sub-teams include exposure to physics, computer-aided design (CAD), computer  graphics, 3-D animation, journalism, marketing, community service, fundraising and many other skills. Students increase their confidence and skill base in personal communication, interpersonal relationships, teamwork, networking, outreach, strategy development, critical thinking and problem solving. The skills the students learn are the most sought after, and highly regarded, in the global community we live in today.
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​Fairport Robotics is a not-for-profit organization that receives financial support through the Fairport Central School District and Rochester Community Robotics. The District provides the team with the use of district facilities, transportation of equipment and students, as well as faculty support from Fairport High School. Rochester Community Robotics acts as the team's 501(c)(3) non-profit financial entity, allowing us to do fund raising events to cover costs that the school does not provide. Additionally, the Fairport community, local businesses and the Greater Rochester  community, provide mentors to the team, passing on their expertise to the students. Sometimes the students return the favor by providing new skills back to the mentors.
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The team receives additional funding from local corporations, and businesses to help defray the costs that the school district does not cover. These costs include competition entry fees, robot construction costs, etc. However, the team also participates in numerous fundraising activities through out the year, as well as community service projects to support local programs.
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If you haven't already, make sure to check out our Origin Story Click Here
If you are interested in joining the team, to find out how  Click Here.