Hello,
My name is Atharv S, and I am writing on behalf of St. Joe Robotics (SJR), the St. Joseph Public School District’s FIRST Robotics program, to invite you to partner with us as a sponsor. This letter will detail FIRST and SJR, and why we want your support.
FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is the world’s leading nonprofit for advancing STEM education in youth, inspiring them to become leaders in science and technology. It’s a five time Anthem Awards winner recognized for purpose-driven work that creates a social impact globally. In our programs, students create robots to accomplish various missions, but as FIRST founder Dean Kamen says, “It’s never been about the robots. We don’t use kids to build robots. We use robots to build kids.”
Students build brains and bonds with teammates and coaches over each season. They develop skills in mechanical/electrical engineering, programming, and business/outreach operations. Moreover, youth have the opportunity to gain valuable leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through these FIRST programs.
At St. Joe Robotics, we offer programs for students from Young 5s to 12th grade, with each program catered to their age level. During the 2024-2025 FIRST Robotics season, we worked with 180 students over 22 teams.
St. Joe Robotics’s High School team, Average Joes, was founded in 2011. Representing Saint Joseph and Berrien County, Average Joes has accomplished so much since then. From just 2015 through 2024, Average Joes has
Qualified for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championship all 8 times it was hosted in the decade.
Won 4 District Competitions
Won a District FIRST Impact Award in 2024, the most prestigious award in FRC
Won the Judges Award at the 2023 FRC World Championship
Won 22 awards total — ranging from Engineering Inspiration to Imagery — at various levels of competitions
Hosted an FRC district competition (since 2013!)
This last FRC season, however, (2025) was extraordinary. Average Joes had their most decorated season yet and broke many team records. The team
Won both district competitions the team competed at in one season (for the first time)
Won the District Impact Award consecutively for the second year (and the second time ever)
Won a State Championship Division (for the first time)
Won the Impact award at the Michigan State Championship (also for the first time. Average Joes are the first from Southwest Michigan to win this award.)
Won the Sustainability Award at the World Championship
Ranked 5th out of 525 active teams in Michigan (highest in team history.)
Beyond this, our FTC (middle school) teams have, in the last 5 years, won 9 judged awards, qualified for the FIRST World Championship once, won their State Championship twice, and qualified this year for the new Premier Events. The FLL programs have also earned countless awards and victories.
St. Joe Robotics is more than just robots though. Beyond the competition, we impact our community and contribute to the world around us. Here are a few highlights:
For the last three years, we have been developing and distributing Buzz Gloves — an effective, non-invasive tool reducing tremors for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
We host events in partnership with local businesses to spread STEM education and fun in our local community.
Through participating in local events, spreading STEM awareness on social media, radio appearances, etc, we have reached over 75,000 people in the last year.
In 2025, we dedicated over 220 hours toward supporting and communicating with our sponsors.
However, we can’t do this alone. Throughout a year, our teams have a multitude of costs that are required to be successful: registration fees, competition fees, materials costs, travel costs, and many small purchases that all add up. In 2025, our core costs— not including things like travel expenses, robot materials, and meals —added up to over $45,000! As travel and participation fees increase for our students and coaches, more and more are forced to miss out on life-changing experiences. SJR has lost multiple large sponsorships in the last couple of years, putting extreme pressure on our 2026 season.
As a St. Joe Robotics Sponsor, you would not only help the team improve and cover the costs needed to run our team, but also network with the future workforce. When you sponsor SJR, our teams give back. Students will come to your facility with our robots to show what we’ve accomplished and answer questions. During these visits, we also take this opportunity to tour your facility, so students can better understand what our sponsors do and how vital their skills are. SJR teaches skills far beyond just STEM too: students develop skills in writing, graphic design, business analytics, communication, and many other paths. Multiple SJR alumni work for sponsors of our teams.
We carry your brand with us throughout the competition season: on shirts, on our robot, with our team.
While monetary donations are the most common, we also appreciate sponsors who choose to pay for certain fees like event registration, provide services, offer discounts for products, sponsor meals, Innovation Center improvements, donate materials/machinery, etc. If there is a certain aspect that you would like to support, please reach out to us to make arrangements. The core costs we are incurring are detailed in our Core Costs Breakdown. Any amount in any form will help SJR thrive.
Sponsors make or break an SJR season. Outside support is the only way our teams can afford registration at competitions, competent materials for our robots, and events for our community. We hope you are able to support our mission and the future careers of our students.
Thank you for your consideration in sponsoring St. Joe Robotics.
—
Atharv S, student of SJR