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26-1354007 — IRS employer identification number.
The WRSG board authorizes Craig's fund-raising activities and accepts responsibility for the expenditure of granted funds in accordance with stated restrictions for their use.Craig Faiman, fund raising director
craig@wilsonvillerobotics.org
503 970 5471
WRSG c/o Erik Halverson
Pacific Tech Group
8215 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd Ste 200
Tualatin OR 97062
The WRSG is a volunteer organization with no paid staff.Eric Anderson, secretary
Tim Bennington-Davis, president
Craig Faiman, fund raising director
Erik Halverson, treasurer
Robert Tidrick
Tom Ugulini
Consider any established youth sport. Legions of parents volunteer to run programs to introduce kids to the games in some cases as early as kindergarten. Parents might enroll their children in a variety of sports so each child can determine their own favorite. By the end of high school, a student has a sufficient depth and scope of defining experience to make an informed decision about what sport, if any, to pursue as an adult. In an era increasingly driven by technology, what similar defining experiences do we provide the next generation to make informed science and technology career decisions? FIRST offers age-appropriate robotics leagues internationally to provide one answer to that question.
Programs like FIRST are perhaps the future of education. But today these programs are run by volunteers and funded by contributions. Just looking at the expenses, the major portion of the costs are the robots themselves. But the value of the program is in the experiences: computer programming, mechanical design and construction, electronic design and building, all in a team environment with an emphasis on innovation, critical thinking and gracious professionalism. Robotics provides students the experience to make informed decisions about science and technology careers.
The program is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Wilsonville, which has contributed to team funding for many years, recently through the WRSG. Robotics is a high school club. The school district makes rooms available at Wilsonville High School for meetings, training and storage. The middle and primary schools make assembly time available for robotics presentations and distribute robotics communications. Volunteers from the local business community make up the team coaches and technical mentors. Students from the high school team also serve as technical mentors on the younger teams.