如何让学生对STEM感到兴奋？建造机器人。
如何让学生对成为社区的一部分感到兴奋？与机器人竞争！

这是纳尔逊·曼德拉高中机器人队“为科学和技术的启发和认可”（FIRST）技术挑战（FTC）倡议的口号。这所学校主要由11年级和12年级的学生组成，他们在FIRST机器人术语中被称为7277号纳尔逊·曼德拉联合中队。该队决定以尽可能多地参与学生科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）项目的方式，在附近的初中和中学开办新的机器人团队。考虑到这一点，并且在此课外活动中得到了阿尔伯塔社会和社会服务部的慷慨援助，该队的12年级核心组开始着手启动六个新的FTC团队，并在初始挑战中担任指导者。每周一次，曼德拉的高年级学生们前往帮助他们的学弟学妹们设计、建造、布线和编程竞争机器人。参与者来自Crossing Park School，Ted Harrison School，Peter Lougheed School，Terry Fox School，以及由纳尔逊·曼德拉高中10年级学生组成的两个团队。

FIRST Robotics是一系列比赛，旨在考验学生在CAD设计、机械、电气系统和机器人代码等STEM领域的能力，以及基本的竞争力，如团队管理，包括沟通、团队合作、问题解决和建立亲切的专业精神。

亲切的专业主义是FIRST机器人的一个关键口号。这个口号表示，所有学生都要相互支持和友善，因为与只有最优秀的人可以进入职业比赛不同，对于这些学生来说，如果他们选择，STEM领域将为他们提供一份工作。

“我对团队成员的聪明和热情感到无比高兴。”纳尔逊·曼德拉高中社区和社会服务部的帕姆·弗雷（Pam Frey）在11月份参观纳尔逊·曼德拉高中的团队首次会议时注意到。“他们将成为我们明天的领导者。

“这些团队富有创造力、精力旺盛、热情洋溢、聪明才智。他们是高级思考者，并为他们所居住的社区提供社会回报。”

这些团队正在为2月9日在纳尔逊·曼德拉高中举行的卡尔加里FTC比赛做准备。该比赛将有来自阿尔伯塔省和英属哥伦比亚省的团队参加。

之后，7277号纳尔逊·曼德拉联合中队的高年级团队将参加FIRST机器人比赛，这是北美高中机器人比赛的最高级别。该比赛将于4月5日和6日在纳尔逊·曼德拉高中和Genesis Centre举办，将有来自西加拿大以及美国、墨西哥、巴西、中国和土耳其的参赛队伍。

​How do you get students excited in STEM? Build robots.
How do you get students excited about being a part of their community? Compete with robots!

This is the mantra of the Nelson Mandela High School Robotics team’s “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” (FIRST)Technology Challenge (FTC) initiative. The predominantly Grade 11 and 12 senior team from the school, labelled team 7277 the Nelson Mandela United Squadron in FIRST robotics terms, decided that the best way to involve as many students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) projects as possible was to start new robotics teams at the junior highs and middle schools nearby. With that in mind, and some funding graciously provided by the Alberta Ministry of Community and Social Services to support this extracurricular endeavor, the team’s Grade 12 core group set out to start six new FTC teams and mentor them through starting up a great challenge. Once a week, the Mandela seniors trek off to help their mentees design, build, wire, and program competition robots. The participants come from Crossing Park, Ted Harrison, Peter Lougheed, and Terry Fox schools, as well as two teams made up entirely of Grade 10 students from Nelson Mandela.

FIRST Robotics is a series of competitions that are meant to test students’ abilities in STEM areas such as CAD design, mechanics, electrical systems, and robot code, as well as basic competencies such as the running of a team, which includes skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and building a spirit of Gracious Professionalism.

Gracious Professionalism is a key mantra of FIRST robotics. That mantra says that all students are to act supportively and kindly to each other because, unlike an athletic competition where only the best of the best go on to professionalism, at the end of the day there is a job in a STEM field waiting for all of these students if they choose to take it.

“I'm thrilled beyond belief at how incredibly bright and enthusiastic the team members are.” Pam Frey from the Ministry of Community and Social Services noted while witnessing the first meeting of the teams at Nelson Mandela in November. “These will be our leaders of tomorrow.

“The teams are inventive, energetic, keen and intelligent. They are advanced thinkers and are providing social return into the community they live in.”

The teams are preparing their robots for the Calgary FTC competition, which will be held at Nelson Mandela High School on Feb. 9. That competition will host teams from across Alberta and B.C.

Following that, team 7277 the Nelson Mandela United Squadron senior team, will be competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition, one tournament at the highest level of high school robotics competition in North America. That competition will be co-hosted by Nelson Mandela High School and the Genesis Centre on April 5 and 6 and will feature teams from across western Canada, as well as entrants from the United States, Mexico, Brazil, China, and Turkey.