A B O U T U S
M I S S I O N
Francis W. Parker Mission Statement: http://www.fwparker.org/mission
The Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a democratic society and global community.
FIRST Robotics Mission Statement: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/vision
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Robotic Colonels Mission Statement (April 2015):
In support of the mission and vision of FIRST and the mission and ethos of Francis W. Parker School, the Robotic Colonels (students, mentors, advisors, and parents) will create a positive environment where mentors and students work side by side as equal partners to foster leadership, teamwork, and innovation through the practice and employment of science, technology, engineering, math. We practice gracious professionalism in all that we do following the Parker credo “Everything to Help, Nothing to Hinder”.
Francis W. Parker Mission Statement: http://www.fwparker.org/mission
The Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a democratic society and global community.
FIRST Robotics Mission Statement: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/vision
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Robotic Colonels Mission Statement (April 2015):
In support of the mission and vision of FIRST and the mission and ethos of Francis W. Parker School, the Robotic Colonels (students, mentors, advisors, and parents) will create a positive environment where mentors and students work side by side as equal partners to foster leadership, teamwork, and innovation through the practice and employment of science, technology, engineering, math. We practice gracious professionalism in all that we do following the Parker credo “Everything to Help, Nothing to Hinder”.
F R A N C I S W . P A R K E R R O B O T I C S H I S T O R Y (As of 2017)
In the fall of 2002, two Francis W. Parker (FWP) seniors, Jamie Shkolnik and Zach Grossman, approached science teachers George Austin and Xiao Zhang and the shop teacher, Joey Wade, about starting a FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) team. Additionally the students found a few professional engineers notable from Newark Electronics. The lead engineer being Kesha Calton. Shkolnik and Grossman then recruited other Parker Students and students from Gordon Tech High School, now DePaul College Prep. The students then decided to each take a free period during the 2002-03 school year so they would have a chance each day to work on FRC. The students with guidance from Austin, Zhang, Wade and Calton and a small budget provided by the FWP science department and support from their parents set out on a journey to compete in FRC. The team of students registered team #1055 “Frank’s Garage.”
Frank’s Garage competed in the 2003 Midwest Regional and won the Rookie All Star Award. Winning the award qualified the team for Worlds and they competed in the Archimedes Division. The team finished Worlds with a record of 2-5.
After a successful rookie season, the students initially a part of Frank’s Garage decided to compete in FRC for a second year. The team then competed at the 2004 Midwest Regional and finished with a record of 3-4. Due to major renovations happening at FWP the lack of space did not allow Frank’s Garage to compete after 2004 and robotics at Francis W. Parker was paused.
A few years later, in 2007, robotics at FWP saw light once again. A middle school FLL team was started under the team name, “Robotic Colonels.” In the team's rookie year, they won the Project Award and qualified for the Illinois State FLL tournament. Additionally, high school students at FWP still had an interest in robotics so the students at FWP joined team, 1739 Chicago Knights, for the 2007-09 FRC seasons.
Then, in 2009 high school robotics was brought back to FWP, this time in full force by the efforts of Seniors, Max Braun, Jared Johnson, Brett Saito, James Mcdonald, Zack Dookeran and Cecillie Tassone and engineering mentor Dick Ledford and Business Mentor Mike Johnson. In the fall of 2009 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team 3507 Robotheosis was created. In their rookie year, team 3507 qualified for state and was the Finalist Alliance First Pick at the Illinois State FTC Tournament.
Later in the 2009-10 school year the robotics team began competing in FRC once again, with the help of the NASA Alliance Robotics Project grant. They now competed under the team, 3135 Robotic Colonels. In the 2010 season the FRC team competed in two Regionals (Midwest and Minnesota North Star) and won the Rookie All Star Award at both events and qualified for worlds. Though, since the robotics program was so new, the team was unable to compete at worlds.
As the years went on the FLL middle school program expanded from one team to two in 2010 because of the large interest in robotics. Additionally the FTC and FRC programs continued to compete.
During the 2013-14 season, 3507 Robotheosis had a successful season, under the leadership of new Head Coach Meredith Card, FWP Math Resource Specialist. At the CMSA Regional they won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and at the IIT Regional the team was number one in the rankings, was the number one alliance captain and won the tournament. Then similar to FLL, in 2014 FWP added a second FTC team, 9410 Robo Galactic Corp. 9410 competed for only the 2014 season and the team recombined under 3507 Robotheosis for the 2015-17 seasons.
Then during the 2015-16 FTC season, under the leadership of new Head Coach and FWP Computer Science Teacher, Aaron Lee, 3507 won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and the 3rd Place Inspire Award, qualifying them for the Illinois State FTC Tournament. At the State Tournament the team was an Innovate Award Finalist.
In the 2016 FRC season The Robotic Colonels competed with great strength at Midwest Regional and had a record of 6-4. Team 3135 then got an invite to attend worlds where the team had a record of 4-6.
The following year at the beginning of the 2016-17 FTC season, it was decided that FWP robotics would pause the FRC team to focus on FTC. In the 16-17 FTC season the team was mentioned as a finalist for virtually every award at the Chicago League Championship and the team won the Inspire Award.
Today the Francis W. Parker Robotics program consists of FTC Teams 3507 and 9410 and three FLL teams. Additionally FWP Robotics will be running a MATE ROV Robotics team beginning in the Spring of 2017.
(Last Updated Spring of 2017)
Frank’s Garage competed in the 2003 Midwest Regional and won the Rookie All Star Award. Winning the award qualified the team for Worlds and they competed in the Archimedes Division. The team finished Worlds with a record of 2-5.
After a successful rookie season, the students initially a part of Frank’s Garage decided to compete in FRC for a second year. The team then competed at the 2004 Midwest Regional and finished with a record of 3-4. Due to major renovations happening at FWP the lack of space did not allow Frank’s Garage to compete after 2004 and robotics at Francis W. Parker was paused.
A few years later, in 2007, robotics at FWP saw light once again. A middle school FLL team was started under the team name, “Robotic Colonels.” In the team's rookie year, they won the Project Award and qualified for the Illinois State FLL tournament. Additionally, high school students at FWP still had an interest in robotics so the students at FWP joined team, 1739 Chicago Knights, for the 2007-09 FRC seasons.
Then, in 2009 high school robotics was brought back to FWP, this time in full force by the efforts of Seniors, Max Braun, Jared Johnson, Brett Saito, James Mcdonald, Zack Dookeran and Cecillie Tassone and engineering mentor Dick Ledford and Business Mentor Mike Johnson. In the fall of 2009 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team 3507 Robotheosis was created. In their rookie year, team 3507 qualified for state and was the Finalist Alliance First Pick at the Illinois State FTC Tournament.
Later in the 2009-10 school year the robotics team began competing in FRC once again, with the help of the NASA Alliance Robotics Project grant. They now competed under the team, 3135 Robotic Colonels. In the 2010 season the FRC team competed in two Regionals (Midwest and Minnesota North Star) and won the Rookie All Star Award at both events and qualified for worlds. Though, since the robotics program was so new, the team was unable to compete at worlds.
As the years went on the FLL middle school program expanded from one team to two in 2010 because of the large interest in robotics. Additionally the FTC and FRC programs continued to compete.
During the 2013-14 season, 3507 Robotheosis had a successful season, under the leadership of new Head Coach Meredith Card, FWP Math Resource Specialist. At the CMSA Regional they won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and at the IIT Regional the team was number one in the rankings, was the number one alliance captain and won the tournament. Then similar to FLL, in 2014 FWP added a second FTC team, 9410 Robo Galactic Corp. 9410 competed for only the 2014 season and the team recombined under 3507 Robotheosis for the 2015-17 seasons.
Then during the 2015-16 FTC season, under the leadership of new Head Coach and FWP Computer Science Teacher, Aaron Lee, 3507 won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and the 3rd Place Inspire Award, qualifying them for the Illinois State FTC Tournament. At the State Tournament the team was an Innovate Award Finalist.
In the 2016 FRC season The Robotic Colonels competed with great strength at Midwest Regional and had a record of 6-4. Team 3135 then got an invite to attend worlds where the team had a record of 4-6.
The following year at the beginning of the 2016-17 FTC season, it was decided that FWP robotics would pause the FRC team to focus on FTC. In the 16-17 FTC season the team was mentioned as a finalist for virtually every award at the Chicago League Championship and the team won the Inspire Award.
Today the Francis W. Parker Robotics program consists of FTC Teams 3507 and 9410 and three FLL teams. Additionally FWP Robotics will be running a MATE ROV Robotics team beginning in the Spring of 2017.
(Last Updated Spring of 2017)