Our Team

Here at Rancocas Valley Robotics we strive to bring together our member's creativity with the discipline of engineering. Team 87 utilizes the opportunities given by FIRST to introduce our members to the world of STEM. Founded in 1997 by Wayne “Schmitty” Smith, a shop teacher at RV, and Ron Macintosh, a Technology Education teacher at RV, our team has design and fabricate robots for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for over 20 years! We believe that "FIRST is the varsity sport of the mind" and we encourage our team members to develop talent in STEM and have them become the new generation of innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs. Go Diablo!!

Impact

Over the years, RV Robotics has sought to leave the best impression on our students, both in competition, and in their own lives. We pride ourselves in going above and beyond, and trying to help those in need. We follow the four pillars of RV education: Academics, Unity, Equity, and Extracurricular Activities. Both the founding pillars and the core values guide the District in creating an environment where students truly transform to become contributing members of our team. However, for us to fulfill our mission, memebers must also open themselves up to new experiences and opportunities, which can lead to both personal and academic growth.

Our History

1997
January 1

Team Created

March 22

Best Offensive Round

Johnson & Johnson Mid-Atlantic Regional
2001
March 24

Regional Finalist

Philadelphia Alliance Regional
2002
March 9

Regional Finalist

NASA Langley / VCU Regional
March 9

Motorola Quality Award

NASA Langley / VCU Regional
March 23

Imagery Award

Philadelphia Alliance Regional
2003
March 15

Imagery Award

Chesapeake Regional
March 29

Regional Finalist

Philadelphia Regional
March 29

Imagery Award

Philadelphia Regional
April 5

Regional Finalist

J&J Mid-Atlantic Regional
April 12

Division Finalist

Curie Division
2004
March 6

Regional Finalist

New Jersey Regional
March 27

Leadership in Control Award

Philadelphia Regional
2005
March 26

Imagery Award

Philadelphia Regional
2006
March 4

Imagery Award

New Jersey Regional
2012
March 31

Imagery Award

Washington DC Regional
March 31

Imagery Award

Washington DC Regional
2013
March 3

Team Spirit Award

Hatboro-Horsham FIRST Robotics District Competition
March 3

Team Spirit Award

Hatboro-Horsham FIRST Robotics District Competition
2015
March 22

Gracious Professionalism Award

MAR District – Seneca Event
March 22

Gracious Professionalism Award

MAR District – Seneca Event
March 29

Team Spirit Award

MAR District – Upper Darby Event
March 29

Team Spirit Award

MAR District – Upper Darby Event
2017
March 26

Judges Award

MAR District – Seneca Event
2018
March 18

Safety Award

Safety Award
MAR District Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Event
March 18

Imagery Award

Imagery Award
MAR District Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Event
March 25

Judges’ Award

MAR District Seneca Event

Our Robot

What is FIRST?

FIRST is an international, not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1989 in Manchester, NH. FIRST had goals to inspire younger people to become interested in STEM. The organization currently has four programs that support their goal.

The main mission of FIRST is to inspire interest in STEM. They also emphasize innovation, teamwork, leadership, communication, confidence, and pursuing education and opportunities. These skills help prepare young people for the job opportunities that have been rapidly increasing recently.

FRC Logo The four programs that FIRST has are, FIRST LEGO League (Jr. FLL and FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Team 1257 is a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. Every year, thousands of teams come up with a unique solution to the game of the year. Teams design, build, test, and compete with their unique game solution every year. They compete in local, regional, and even world competitions.

Mission Statement

The Rancocas Valley Regional High School District,
a forward-thinking learning institution,
empowers every student with the knowledge and skills
to be a contributing member of the community
by providing meaningful curricular and extracurricular experiences.