We had the great opportunity to attend and assist the Rutherford County Isobots competition presented by the Education Foundation and Meta. Our students ran the judges sheets timed presentations, and reset the robot tables. We love seeing the progress of these kids.

Rutherford County Schools annual Kinder Palooza event came around and this year we not only brought our past seasons robot but we also made bio degradable and safe to consume kinetic play sand out of potato starch, coconut oil, food coloring, and a bonding agent all safe. We also had glow in the dark water adhesive tatoos for the kids in attedance.

With the FLL Isobots competition quickly approaching the Chase middle school teams asked if we could come a couple days a week to help on their robot and strategy, as well as as go over their presentation to be as prepared as possible.

Blue Ridge Hope is an incredible organization located in our community that provides, Wifi, food, drink, clothing, and a safe space for kids 6th-12th grade so that everybody can have a place to do homework and hang out during the day. We visited and did some science experiences with both the middle school and high school group to demonstrate density.

Some of our students attended and assisted the Black History Month held by the Grahmtown Community Team where they highlighted black leaders in the community music and food tto celebrate.

We partnered with several local FLL teams and coaches to mentor them on operating and planning their SPIKE robots. We also coached them in team-building activities and their presentations for FIRST Core Values. Students were able to practice on an actual field with appropriate game pieces.

By combining Halloween and safety education, Spindale provided the opportunity to learn about safe Trick-or-Treating habits as well as what to do during emergencies. We passed out candy to people who visited our booth and allowed them to participate in an activity that stimulated their cognitive skills. 

The Food, Art, and Brew Festival (FAB) is an event in our area that highlights small businesses and local culture. It gives opportunities for organizations and individuals to interact with their community through having their own booth, browsing, or enjoying live music. As a part of our booth, we sell items 3D printed by our Design Team. We've maintained engagement with FAB across three events over the summer.

Our local Back to School Bash brought organizations together throughout our community to provide school supplies to children and families in need. We gathered school supplies including glue sticks, bookbags, and notebooks, through our community and schools to contribute.

We got to spend the day at the Meta Forest City Data Center's "Family Fun Day". While there, we helped the kids through three different stations. Our first station was built of different STEAM activities for a variety of ages. The second was sphero racing to teach them basic driving skills to prepare them for the last station. Finally to end off their time with us they got to drive our robot! At the end of the day we got a tour of their facility and how it operates on a day to day basis.

During the summer the majority of the Girl Scout Troups from around the area get together for a group camp, and we got the opportunity to teach them some things. The first day two of our members had a talk with them about women empowerment, specifically women in STEAM. The second day we had a representative of each of our subteams talk to them about first and their opportunities to be apart of it.

We set up a booth among other members of our community to celebrate Juneteenth. We were given a slot to speak about our team and the work that we do. 

For 2023's STEAM camp we focused on the A in STEAM. Throughout the week we guided some of them through the process of making their own claymation while others experimented with FLL bots. At the end of the week they all got to present their creations!

At an event that gathers together the future kindergartners, we allowed students to experiment with FLL EV-3 robots, Spheros, and create bubbles on their own.

The Gear Up program increases the number of low-income students who have the opportunity to pursue education after high school. Winston-Salem State University, a university in our area, has given our community this chance for years. This summer, kids from the 2023 Gear Up program visited our bay where we talked to them about all things STEAM and FIRST, showing them yet another resource available within our area to help them achieve their desired future.

Over the summer we partnered with our local library to bring something we called "STEAM in the Real World". It was basically a day were we invited parents and kids to listen to us talk about our team and the paths that FIRST has lead us to. While there we had fun talking to the kids about our futures and how theirs can look similar, we also got to teach them all about the mechanisms within our robot and how and why they work.

Our team's main goal is spreading STEAM education throughout our community. This change starts from within the school system, so whenever any of our local schools need help we're eager to lend a hand. Members of the Omegabytes assisted Cliffside in their annual book fair.

We partnered with local artisans to showcase STEAM skills and the importance of supporting our community with locally grown organic produce, apparel, and handmade crafts. One of the amazing groups we met was a new girl scout troop that is just starting off on their quest to learn more STEAM skills.

Every year, our local high schools host what they call "Freshman Big Deals". This is where the incoming freshmen get paired with seniors who mentor them and show all the opportunities that come with high school. We set up a booth at each Freshman Big Deal to show that one of those opportunities is FIRST Robotics. 

A few members of our team went to a local school to inform a group of adults about the Omegabytes. Several important officials from our community attended that meeting. 

We went out to three of our local elementary schools to expose them to FLL Discover and give them challenges to overcome. We walked them through effective transportation designs and structural integrity.

We assisted 10 of our local FLL teams and their coaches in programming their new SPIKE Bots as well as teaching them how to effectively use sensors on the field. 

We worked with the G-Team to bag food items and distribute them to members of our community in addition to serving a hot meal to those who came. No one left the community center without food!

There was an open Q+A with members of our community and members of the school boards. Two of our members presented and helped guide community-based discussion.

We took an entire Saturday to set up stations revolving around forces in motion as well as physical/chemical changes of matter. 

We allowed kids to drive sphero robots and make bubbles on their own. 

Members of our team volunteered at an event focused on the election of local officials. Attendees were allowed to ask questions to candidates to better inform their votes. We helped guide attendees and organize the activities.

The staff of ICC gave us a tour of the engineering resources available on campus and answered questions from students to help broaden their knowledge.

We attended the Juneteenth event with a tent set up to inform attendees about our team, help set up other tents, and support local small businesses.

As Christmas approached, we organized an event with the G-Team to bring holiday-themed STEAM activities to children in our community. 

Members were invited to speak to the RCSNC School board to speak on what the team was about and what we're doing in our community. 

Our second food drive with Grahamtown, we bundled in clothing of all sizes this time. We separated and reorganized everything from 1-2 month babies to adult sizes to hand out to those who needed it.

For orientation at REaCH, we spent the afternoon working with school staff to direct guests and tour them around campus. We also passed out brochures and candy to those who stopped at our booth.

Here, we were allowed to set up tables at each high school orientation to spread our mission and recruit new students.

We collaborated with the Pohlman Group to volunteer at the fall festival held in Lake Lure. We made cotton candy, played games, enjoyed live music, and presented the capabilities of Overbyte to the attendees of the festival. 

On Tuesday, November 2, the REaCH Omegabytes robotics team attended the RCSNC November school board meeting to introduce and share their incredible achievements and goals to the community. As a robotics team based in competition and outreach, the Omegabytes have risen to a position where they are able to share not only the amazing mechanics and technology skills that they teach and compete with, but also provide a safe, educational, and nurturing environment that will prepare a new generation of kids for all kinds of careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and related industries.

We were invited to present at the Rutherford County School Board to display how robotics teams are essential to education. This meeting helped gain great momentum and left a big impact on the community. On an awesome note, clapping wasn't encouraged but by the end of our presentation the entire audience was applauding. 

We engaged in fun activities with Pre-K students to spark interest in STEAM. The kids were very enthusiastic to learn about a widely known character, R2-D2. It is crucial to expose children to subjects like STEAM at such an impactful time in their lives. 

A few members of our team were invited to speak at the State School Board meeting about how STEM and FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) has benefited our lives. We got to talk with the lieutenant governor, and highlight how FRC is affecting and empowering women in STEM.

Cleveland and Rutherford Counties collaborated with local manufacturers to allow students to get hands on learning and experience. Students went to different booths to gather information on colleges and companies. Some booths allowed the students to take part in activities such as virtual welding. 

The team volunteered as judges to host the 4th-8th grade Carolina Isobots FLL (First Lego League) robotics competition. We got to assist with any last minute issues the teams may have had, and got to display our robots in a fun and exciting way.

Freightliner gave us a tour of their industry plant to show us a multitude of different career options. Before we began the tour they explained the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment). We then toured the factory where the mentors explained the inner workings of each production facility. One of the many highlights of the visit was the dedicated welding department that sparked interest in many of our students. 

The Bulldog Industry gave us a tour of their industry plant to continue to grow career options. The tour guides explained the inner workings of the factory. They also explained some career options and the education requirements to get those jobs. They then showed industrial robots in action to showcase how robots are used in real-life applications.

We were the pre-game entertainment where we showed our robot Tank to the crowd. Tank was able to drive around the field and shoot whiffle balls for Hoot, the team mascot, to catch. We also had a tent set up for people to visit and learn more about our team and how we communicate to our community.

We held a recruitment day at all three Rutherford County middle schools to showcase our robots and how students can become a part of our team.

We visited the following schools:

• Chase Middle School

• East Rutherford Middle School

• R-S Middle School

Thank you to Duke Energy for your kind donation! Our team and FIRST truly appreciates your continued support!

At Mt. Vernon Ruth STEM Day we encouraged K-5 students to look into various STEM fields, and displayed the advances in STEM through fun hands-on activities.

We presented to local business leaders, middle school, and high school students. We demonstrated our team, how our robots are innovatively designed and built, and how this knowledge will translate to our future careers.

Thank you Facebook for your generous support! We used this donation to compete in events and spread the word about STEM.

Starting this year, the veterans of our team went to each high school in our county to present our robotics team. We brought a slideshow, presentation board, and our robot Tank. When students came in, we gave them a quick hello with Tank, showing off the bots skills. Kids who were interested came up, asking us as many questions as they had. If they were interested in joining, we then handed them sign up sheet with their name and email.

Hosted at R-S Central High School, our county had a FLL Competition. Many members of the team volunteered at the event, whether they were referees, field resetters, or hosts. As hosts, our members guided FLL teams in and out of judging rooms. They also set up boards for the kids that had projects as a presentation or video. This event allowed us to see how hard these FLL students work each  year, especially with how they collaborate and create their own unique ideas.

We sparked the imagination of preschoolers at the Kinder Palooza. They were excited to see our robots in action, and ready to see how STEM could be used in the classroom.

At the Sunshine event, we spent an entire day helping administration with their STEM Day. We first demonstrated all of our robots, driving them around and then let the kids drive as well. The rest of the time we showed the kids cool, little robotic toys. Our team also demonstrated apps which could teach kids how to program anything from a rolling ball to a silly game.

Hosted at Isothermal Community College, our county had an FLL Competition. Many members volunteered at the event, whether they were referees, field resetters, or hosts. As hosts, our members guided FLL teams in and out of judging rooms. They also set up boards in case the kids had their projects as a presentation or video. This event allowed us to see how hard these FLL students work each  year, especially with how they collaborate and create their unique ideas.

The Kinder-Palooza event took place to welcome new kids and families into the RCS community, kicking off registration in an exciting way. They had many events where these kids and their families could interact with elements they would see in their elementary school. We sent two of our members to this event with our cutest and friendliest robot, Tank. These wonderful teammates would drive around the bot, also     allowing kids to drive and see what they could look forward to in the future.

REaCH (Rutherford Early College High School) hosted a tour of the school for an executive group of board members. Our team was lucky enough to present two of our robots to these executives. The two robots which were demonstrated were Trigger and Tank. Our members told them a little about our team, gave out buttons, and even showed them how to drive the bots.

At the Isothermal Community College, the Omegabytes got to present four of their robots to the sixth graders from all of the schools in our county. We brought Trigger, Trouble, Tank, and Scooter to demonstrate and drive around. Members of our team drove their designated robots and then at the end of our presentation, let the kids drive them. They also presented the many parts we use every year.

We had the honor to present our team at the Forest Hunt Science Night. When we were there, we brought our robot Tank. The members that went set up our pit, showing off what it looks like at competition. We presented our presentation made by one of our amazing members to the children, then drove around Tank.

At Sunshine, we spent the entire day helping the administration at Sunshine with their STEM Day. First, we demonstrated off all of our robots, letting the kids drive them, showing the kids what we really do. After that, we helped with the rest of the STEM Day, showing the kids little and cool robotic toys. The members even demonstrated little apps that could teach them how to program. 

One day, we had the honor to present our team at the Forrest Hunt Science Night. When we were there, we brought our robots Tremor and Tank. The members that went set up our pit, showing off what it looks like at competition. We presented FIRST's "This Isn't a Robot" video to the children, then drove around Tremor.

At the FLL Competition hosted at Isothermal Community College, seven of our members volunteered at the FLL event. They helped, being referees, field resetters, and hosts. As hosts, we guided the FLL teams in and out of the judging rooms, while also setting up the boards in case the kids wanted to display their projects presentation or video. It was a great time for us to see what the FLL students really do and how hard they word to collaborate and create new and unique ideas.

Before FLL started its build season, our team went to the FLL Kickoff with all of the teams. They were introduced by the presenters and came inside, showing off the robots. The team members drove our robots around even more, while also talking about what they do on an everyday basis being in FRC. After that, we let the children drive the robots, who completely enjoyed it. 

At the Isothermal Community College, the Omegabytes got to present three of their five robots to the sixth graders from all of the schools in our county. We brought Tremor, Trigger, and Tank to demonstrate and drive around. Three of the members in our team all drove their designated robots and then at the end of our presentation, let the kids drive them. Our formal team captain presented the many parts that we use every year, while a photo presentation of our team was running.