FIRST ROBOTICS

Baldwin Robotics was co-founded in August 2007 by two teachers from H.P. Baldwin High School, the construction/industrial technology and physical science/physics teachers.  The team also had another teacher advisor, four engineering mentors from the community, and a core team of 10 students who actively participated in designing and building the robot and managing club affairs.

The goal of the club was to interest and inspire students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and careers.  FIRST Robotics was the primary means of meeting this objective.  In March 2008, the team experienced its initial FIRST Robotics regional competition in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Baldwin Robotics was proud to be one of two teams representing Maui with a strong robot that competed well for a rookie team.  The club had to overcome many challenges in its first year of existence, but through teamwork and significant contributions from team members and advisors/ mentors, a solid foundation was established.

Baldwin Robotics has carried on that momentum since the 2007-2008 season, where the team has attended every FIRST Hawaii Regional Competition held on the island of Oahu and also one U.S. Mainland competition each season.  Student participation in FIRST Robotics has steadily increased to over 200%, with currently 32 members.  Advisor/mentor participation has also increased by over 100%, with currently 15 advisors, mentors and alumni assistants.

As our team has grown, we have become more capable and a more fierce competitor at FIRST competitions.  Last season, we improved our team’s standings to second-place alliance at both FIRST regional events we attended.  This year, we hope to improve our standings to first-place alliance at one of two regional competitions.