Maryland State Championship
Winning Alliance - Captain Team
Think AwardOhio State Championship
Winning Alliance - Captain Team
We would like to thank our Alliance Partners
Maryland - Team #7 Tek Brick
Ohio - Team #2888 Oddly Charged Particles
Team #150 Black Out
Check out pictures and results from the Maryland Championship at the College of Southern Maryland. Also you can watch video of our robot at Maryland 2009 Qualifiying Match.
G-FORCE is a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics team made up of Garrett County 4-H members. Our high school aged team members come from different 4-H clubs and schools in Garrett County. Our team was formed in 2008 with the help of 4-H and GEARS. In our rookie season G-Force won the inspire award at the MD State FTC Championship and went on to compete at the World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia where our alliance placed second in the world.
Current Season Updates
We would like to thank our great sponsors! Click below to learn more about each of our sponsors.
Sponsors (2009-2010)
After attending the 2009 World Championship in Atlanta, our team decided that we wanted to inspire others to become involved with robotics. Our team has participated in numerous activities in the community to inspire youth to join robotics and 4-H. Our goal is 1,000 hours of community service by December 31st. Click Here to learn more about our many community service activities which includes many state wide and national 4-H events.
Community Service
The FIRST FTC game for 2009-10 is called Hot Shot. The robot must score wiffle balls into a center scoring goal and also in a off field goal. We have been working hard since the September kickoff to create a robot. Click Here for more information on the Hot Shot Game and pictures from our building season.
Working on this years Robot
G-FORCE provides technical support to JCPenney Afterschool Porgram and National 4-H Council and is featured in the 2009 National 4-H Annual Report (Click for more information)
G-FORCE Works With National 4-H Council
After attending the world festival we decided to take the challenge set forth by Woody Flowers to increase the number of FTC teams by 500 for 2010. We figured that meant we needed to have 10 new teams from Maryland. We would also like to have more teams in our area so we can have more competitions and we do not have to travel as far to competitions. We are currently have to travel five hours to the nearest tournament.
We wrote a proposal to the Maryland State 4-H Organization to help fund a "Boot Camp". The "Boot Camp" was designed to train ten new teams state wide. The idea of the "Boot Camp" was received very well however funding was not available to fund the project. The "Boot Camp" proposal was also forwarded to the National 4-H Council. The National 4-H Council also liked the idea but was also unable to fund the proposal at the time. We later received a phone call from the National 4-H Council wanting G-FORCE to assist them with special project with the JC Penney Afterschool Foundation.
The 4-H and FIRST partnership is just one part of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund’s (JCPASF) generous $1 million investment in the 4-H Youth Development Program. The Fund’s support included sponsorships of 4-H JCPASF FIRST Robotics Teams, development of year-round 4-H Robotics curriculum, and grants for 4-H Afterschool programs. The JCPASF robotics effort provided mini grants to new and existing 4-H based FLL, FTC and FRC teams for the 2009-10 season. G-FORCE is working with the National 4-H Council to mentor the 4-H grant recipients through conference calls and information on the National 4-H Council website (http://sites.google.com/site/4hfirstconnection/home).
The most recent development in the 4-H robotics area is that the Maryland 4-H program was selected by the National 4-H council to develop a pilot program to expand robotics to every county in the state. The program is being funded by Lockheed Martin, Inc. G-FORCE has been working with Maryland State 4-H Specialists to develop the pilot project. G-FORCE will be very involved in the training provided to 4-H Extension Educators and volunteers. We have already conducted two state wide workshops to introduce educators and volunteers to the different robotics platforms. We were also asked by National 4-H Council to attend the 2009 and the 2010 National Association of Extension 4-H Agents National Conference as part of the National 4-H Councils Set exhibit. We are looking forward to conducting more training in 2010.
National 4-H Council has been very impressed by the efforts make by the G-FORCE team. Eddie Locklear, Ed. D, National 4-H Council, Director for 4-H SET, said "By interacting with the 4-H members and volunteers of G-FORCE, we have developed several strategies for building a 4-H Robotics Program tto serve thousands of youth throughout the 4-H System. Thanks to G-FORCE members for the tremendous contribution they are making to this important 4-H SET Program. Don Floyd, Jr., President and CEO of the National 4-H Council said the following about G-FORCE, " G-FORCE members have a passion for robotics and science that gives me great confidence in our future." G-FORCE is also featured in the 2009 National 4-H Council Annual Report.
G-FORCE is getting ready for the FIRST World Championship on April 14th-17th in Atlanta, Georgia.
3/12/10 G-Force is invited by National 4-H Council to speak on their behalf at the Public Launch of the Business & Industry STEM Education Coalition at The National Academies in Washington, DC
Latest Happenings
3/13/10 Congradulations to Team 1629 GaCo Winner of the Chairmans Award at the FRC Chesapeake Regional - Baltimore, Maryland
3/13/10 G-Force members assist with SUGO trounament at Fort Meade and demonstrate FTC at the FRC Chesapeake Regional, Baltimore.
2/27/10 Congradulation to Maryland FTC Team 2843 Under the Son - Winning Alliance at the Virgina FTC Championship
1/30/10 Congradulations to Garrett County FLL Teams at the Maryland FLL Tournament
Champions Award - Team 418 Firy Snow Bricks 2nd Place Champions Award
- Team 431 - NeXT Gen3rd Place Robot Performance (380) - Team 427 - Accident Moovers 2nd Place Inovative Solution
- Team 343 - Polar Extremes4/3/10 G-FORCE members help train 4-H Leaders from six counties at GEARS.
4/11/10 G-FORCE and 4-H Open House at GEARS - Come and learn about all levels of robotics.
4/13 to 4/17 G-FORCE members and mentors are off to Atlanta, GA for the FTC World Championship.
