BUSINESS PLAN
DOW Chemical • Lockheed Martin
Cobham • jcpenney • BAE Systems
Johnson & Johnson PRD • Comcast
Centocor Ortho BioTech • andymark
techni-tool • weof • Wissahickon High School
2011
1
Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................................3
Founding Organization.......................................................................................................5
Goals.....................................................................................................................................................6
History.................................................................................................................................................7
Management & Organization.....................................................................................12
Operations...................................................................................................................................13
Marketing Plan.........................................................................................................................15
Competitive Analysis..........................................................................................................17
Community Work.................................................................................................................18
Long Term Growth...............................................................................................................20
Budget – Expenses................................................................................................................21
Budget – Summary..............................................................................................................23
2
Executive Summary
The Wissahickon High School Robotics Team, referred to as Team 341, has been acknowledged as a hard working team
within the FIRST® organization. Team 341, founded in 1999, was originally comprised of ten members. Currently the
team has 57 members who continue to build on our legacy within the robotics organization and local community. Our
team’s goal is to inspire young people to pursue technical careers and promote good citizenship. The team’s focal point is
construction of a competition robot. However, the team places a strong emphasis on mentoring, community outreach,
and charitable activities. Our overall goal is to build people.
By implementing various marketing strategies, the Wissahickon High School Robotics Team hopes to maintain our image
as a respectable and competitive team while expanding our capabilities, increasing the magnitude of our goals, and
continuing our mentoring and community activities. While sponsorships and construction facilities have changed over
the years, objectives and values of the team have remained constant.
3
Key Facts • Date Founded: 1999
• Founder: Alan Ostrow, Head Coach
• Number of Team Members: 57
• Team Location: Ambler, PA
• Sponsors
DOW Chemical Company, jcpenney, Lockheed
Martin, Johnson & Johnson PRD, Cobham, BAE
Systems, Comcast, Techni-Tool, AndyMark, Centocor
Ortho Biotech Inc., WEOF, and Wissahickon High
School
• Student Activities
• Mechanical, Electrical & Programming Design
• Media Arts & Video Production
• Business Planning & Networking
• 3D Animation & CAD
• Web Design
• Art, Graphics & Set Design
• Community Outreach Activities
Designed to promote the team and to inspire an
interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM)
• Presentations at elementary and middle schools
• Franklin Institute, NBC Tech Expo, GameX, USA
Science Festival - set up team display and allow
public to learn about and drive the robots.
• Girls in Gear© - a Girl Scout STEM education
program
• Philadelphia 76’ers Basketball Games
• Girl Scout Summer Robotics Camp
• White House Science Fair
• Mentoring Activities
We mentor local rookie FIRST® teams and offer our
services around the world via our DVD program, Team
in a Box. This DVD explains FIRST®, the year ahead,
how to survive build season, how to prepare award
submissions, and serves as a valuable reference tool.
• Charitable Activities
Annual canned food drive for Ambler Community
Cupboard. Past activities: collecting school supplies
for Iraqi children, raising money for a fallen police
officer’s family, raising money for purchase of a
specialized iBot wheelchair for a disabled team
member.
• Team Growth
Through community events, Ramp Riot (an off-season
competition we host at our school), and presentations
at elementary and middle schools we promote our
team. This has led to increased interest in our program
with our member count currently at 57 - one of the
highest ever.
• Sustainability Activities
• Continue growing our team through our
community outreach programs.
• Maintain relationships with sponsors by holding
demonstrations at their locations and updating
them on our progress throughout the season via
newsletters.
• Continuously look for new sponsorship
opportunities by providing information packets
to local companies and inviting them to attend
Ramp Riot, our annual off-season competition.
• Continue the promotion of FIRST® locally and
globally via our community and international
outreach programs and Team in a Box.
• USA Science and Engineering Festival
• Philadelphia Science Festival
• Dean Kamen Medal Ceremony
• International Outreach
To promote FIRST® globally the team developed
partnerships with schools in Singapore, UK, Denmark,
South Africa, and Canada.
4
Founding Organization
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was
founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen. The competitions began in 1992. The vision
of FIRST® is “To transform our culture by creating a world where science and
technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming
science and technology heroes.” Over the past nineteen years, FIRST® has
become a multinational, non-profit organization with teams located in Brazil,
Canada, Great Britain, Israel, the United States, and many other countries.
During FIRST®’s introductory year, twenty-eight teams competed. FIRST® has
become a worldwide phenomenon. Now, there are over 1,800 teams and
45,000 high school students. Participants hail from 12 different countries:
Australia, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Israel,
Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Turkey, and the USA.
When FIRST® began it was funded by businesses, especially Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the U.S.
Federal Government. Every year, with the help of new investors, FIRST® is able to create challenging competitions that keep
students interested year after year. Many investors believe that FIRST® promotes learning and is an excellent resource for
educational environments because of their interest in exposing students to the world of science and technology. FIRST®
begins in elementary and middle schools with the FIRST® LEGO® League and continues through high school with FTC®
and FRC®.
FIRST® believes in “...a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects
individuals and the community.” FIRST® refers to this as Gracious Professionalism™. Another key tenant of FIRST® is
Coopertition™ which is “displaying unqualified kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition. Coopertition™ is
founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they
compete.”
FIRST® credits the success of the organization to the thousands of volunteers, engineers, teachers, and other mentors who
have helped make the organization a success worldwide. Many of FIRST®’s past student participants return to help out
at regional and championship competitions to allow present members the same, if not more, opportunities than they
received.
Robotics programs have been promoted in schools worldwide as an excellent way for students to learn new things in
a hands-on environment. FIRST® has become better known around the world with a goal for all schools to have this
program to further students’ knowledge in math, science, and technology.
The benefits students gain by participating in FIRST® include exposure to math, science, and technology and hands-on
experience in designing and creating competitive robots. Many teams also provide the opportunity for their members to
work with web design, media, CAD, animation, and business planning.
In 2011 the FIRST® Scholarship Program will provide over $14 million dollars in college scholarships and 900 individual
scholarship opportunities from 140 scholarship providers.
5
Goals
Setting goals is a priority in any organization, whether it is a profit or non-profit organization. Goals set by Team 341 result
in success. As of this year, many goals from previous years have been accomplished and new ones have been created.
Each division of Team 341 has established specific goals to reach before, during, and after competition season.
“We Build People” is the motto of Team 341, and therefore it is always our constant goal. A main goal is that students
learn skills like computer aided drafting, electrical, mechanical, programming, and possibly the most important skill of
all: people skills. While athletic teams focus on building people physically, a robotics team focuses on building people
intellectually and mentally; and on becoming a spirited member.
A strong team on and off the field is an asset when it comes to competing in any FIRST® competition. Therefore
teamwork is an essential aspect of any team. Each year Team 341 expands upon the existing goal of working together to
ensure a cohesive environment for everyone. To accomplish this goal, leaders are assigned to each division of the team to
make sure that the team works as efficiently as possible. Before the build season begins, Team 341 dedicates an evening,
the 341st evening of the year, to a team building and bonding experience. Games are played to allow each team member
to get to know each other and form unbreakable connections.
In 2010 Team 341 achieved the goal of becoming a Championship Chairman’s Award winner. This is an honor, to say the
least. Yet, this does not mean Team 341 is going to stop being a role model for FIRST® teams and the local community.
To maintain our status as a respectable team, Team 341’s crew continues to reach out to the surrounding schools and
businesses within the area to promote FIRST®. Even internationally, teams are beginning to approach our team for help.
We want to help create more opportunities for groups that are underrepresented in engineering. We are also focused on
growing our school community’s robotics program. We will continue our outreach locally and globally to anyone who
requests assistance.
One of FIRST®’s goals is to expand students’ strengths in math, science, and technology. Team 341 makes it a goal every
year to reach out to the local community and inform them about robotics, since many people do not know what the
FIRST® Robotics organization is all about.
Team 341 sets annual goals focused on improving the performance of Team 341 and building on the team’s strong
foundation.
6
History
Since winning the Championship Chairman’s Award last year, Team 341 has gone on to have many exciting experiences.
On October 18, 2010, Team 341 sent five students from Wissahickon High School to the Inaugural White House
Science Fair. Team 341 representatives met the President of the United States, Barack Obama. The team also met several
prominent individuals, including the hosts of the popular television show MythBusters, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.
1999
Alan Ostrow, a Wissahickon science teacher, happened to stumble in to a FIRST® regional in the spring of 1999. As luck
would have it, Mr. Ostrow ran in to a fellow Wissahickon technology teacher who was also interested in starting a team.
The rest, as they say, is history. 2000
In the year 2000 Team 341 started as a modest team of roughly ten students
and three mentors. They went by the name “Tom Servo,” after Mystery
Science Theater 2000, and were sponsored by PSGA. Right out of the starting
blocks, the team was encouraged by winning the Rookie All-Star award at the
Philadelphia Regional. Following the regular season, Team 341 hosted its first
off-season competition, Ramp Riot, which turned into an annual event that
continues to grow each year.
2000 Awards at a Glance
• Philadelphia Regional Rookie All-Star
2001
In the 2001 season, the team decided to change its name to “Hephaestus,”
after the Greek god of technology, metals, and fire. Our robot that year even
sported a flashy fire paint scheme. At the Championship Competition at Epcot
in Orlando, Florida the team won Ford Motor Company’s “Best Team” Award.
That year we also won Ramp Riot as the alliance team leader.
2001 Awards at a Glance
• Ford Motor Company “Best Team” Award
• Ramp Riot Champions
7
2002
In 2002 the team decided to change its name yet again and form a more unique
and memorable identity. After much debate, the team decided on “Miss Daisy”
after the movie “Driving Miss Daisy.” The team figured that then they could say
they were actually driving “Miss Daisy.” During the season, success started to
take root, even though the team was not fully financially supported through
sponsors. The team won three awards throughout the season, the DaimlerChrysler Team Spirit Award at the Long Island Regional, and the Judge’s Award
and Volunteer of the Year Award, both at the Philadelphia Regional. In the same
season, one of Miss Daisy’s team members won a $40,000 scholarship to Drexel
University, which was presented at the Championship Competition. Financially,
it was a rough year, but Team 341 made it through the season better than they
had in previous years.
2002 Awards at a Glance
• Philadelphia Regional Judge’s Award
• Philadelphia Regional FIRST® Volunteer of the Year: Alan Ostrow
• Long Island Regional Daimler-Chrysler Team Spirit
• $40,000 Drexel Scholarship
• Pennsylvania Robot Challenge Finalist
• NASA/Maryland State Fair Competition First Runner-up
• Duel on the Delaware, Competition #1 Seed and Finalist
• Ramp Riot, Team Spirit Award, #8 Seed
• North Brunswick Eruption Robotics Champions
2003
During the 2003 season, the Daisy crew decided to take a new path in building
the robot. In the earlier years, professional engineers had helped to build the
team’s robot, but the loss of a sponsorship affected the support engineers
could give to our team. The team decided to become 100% student built, and
in that season, Miss Daisy was a great success. Team 341’s success led to the
team winning four awards. At the Philadelphia Regional, the Daisies received
the Regional Chairman’s Award and the Leadership in Control Award. The
team also won the Kleiner-Perkins Caufield & Byers Entrepreneurship Award
and was a Galileo Division Champion in the Championship Final Four at the
Championship Competition.
2003 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Galileo Division Champions
• Championship Kleiner-Perkins Entrepreneurship Award
• Philadelphia Regional Chairman’s Award
• Philadelphia Regional Leadership in Controls Award
• Pennsylvania Robot Challenge Champions
• NASA/Maryland State Fair Competition Second Runner-up
• $2,000 NASA Maryland State Fair Scholarship
• Duel on the Delaware, Competition Finalist
• Ramp Riot Finalist
8
2004
In 2004, when the bar had been raised, our team continued to struggle
financially, and even began having difficulties on the field. Though off the
field, the team won several awards. The Team Spirit Award was won at the
Chesapeake Regional Competition and Miss Daisy was also presented the
Regional Chairman’s Award at the Philadelphia Regional, for the second
consecutive year. Moving on to the Championships, the team was awarded
Honorable Mention for the Championship Chairman’s Award. Though the year
was rough, it was a great experience for both students and mentors.
2004 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Chairman’s Award Honorable Mention (Final Four)
• Philadelphia Regional Chairman’s Award
• Chesapeake Regional Daimler-Chrysler Team Spirit
• FIRST® Robotics Website Excellence Award
• Pennsylvania Robot Challenge Finalist and # 1 Seed
• Summer Frenzy Champions
2005
In 2005, the Wissahickon High School Robotics Team lost their partner, North
Montco Technical Career Center. By losing two mentors, team members, and
a building facility, Miss Daisy had a rough start to the new season. The team
made it out strong however, due to the support from parents and the school
administration for allowing the team to use the high school facilities. The
team earned national recognition at the Championship as it was named an
honorable mention of the Chairman’s Award. Team 341 also took home the
Judges Award at the Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
2005 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Chairman’s Award Honorable Mention (Final Four)
• Championship Judges Award
• Philadelphia Regional Kleiner-Perkins Entrepreneurship Award
• Philadelphia Regional Quarter-Finalists
• Chesapeake Regional Chairman’s Award
• Chesapeake Regional Website Award
• FIRST® Frenzy Champions
• FIRST® Frenzy Number One Seed
• Duel on the Delaware Competition Finalists
9
2006
The 2006 season marked the return of our beloved advisor, Mr. Torrente, from
North Montco Technical Career Center. He was not alone however – students
from Montco followed him and provided their skills to aid the team. Team 341
went on to win an award at every competition they participated in.
2006 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Johnson & Johnson Sportsmanship Award
• Philadelphia Regional Johnson & Johnson Sportsmanship Award
• Chesapeake Regional Engineering Inspiration Award
• FIRST® Robotics Website Excellence Award
• Philadelphia Robot Challenge “Out of the PARC” Award
2007
2007 started out great when it was announced that Miss Daisy had won the
President’s Circle Award. After all the hard work put in during build season,
Team 341 demonstrated their love for Miss Daisy at the New Jersey Regional.
Team 341’s cheerful antics won them the Daimler Chrysler Team Spirit Award.
After New Jersey, Team 341 headed off to Chesapeake, where they won the
Woodie Flowers Award. Miss Daisy’s last regional stop was Philadelphia, where
they took home the Engineering Inspiration Award as well as the Championship.
2007 Awards at a Glance
• Championship President’s Circle Award
• Philadelphia Regional Champions
• Philadelphia Regional Engineering Inspiration Award
• Chesapeake Regional Woodie Flowers Award
• New Jersey Regional Daimler-Chrysler Team Spirit Award
• FIRST® Robotics Website Excellence Award
2008
2008 was a year full of excitement for Team 341. Team members put in a lot of
hard work and in the end, Miss Daisy paid back in full. The team walked away
from the Philadelphia Regional with the Chairman’s Award in one hand, and
the Regional Champion title in another. In the summer, the team was invited to
England to demonstrate Miss Daisy at the Farnborough Air Show.
2008 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Kleiner-Perkins Entrepreneurship Award
• Championship Finalist AutoDesk Inventor Award
• Philadelphia Regional Chairman’s Award
• Philadelphia Regional Champions
• FIRST® Robotics Website Excellence Award.
10
2009
2009 marked Team 341’s tenth anniversary. While we have not always been
Daisies we are proud to have flowered for so long. In 2009, Daisy made her
first appearance at the San Diego Regional where we took home a champion’s
trophy. This was Team 341’s third year in a row to win a regional competition
(the prior two at the Philadelphia Regional). Things didn’t really work out on
the field at the Philadelphia Regional though but off the field the Daisies won
the second highest honor in FIRST®, the Engineering Inspiration Award. At the
Championships, we were honored again with the Championship Engineering
Inspiration Award.
2009 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Engineering Inspiration Award
• Philadelphia Regional Engineering Inspiration Award
• Philadelphia Regional Woodie Flowers Award: Kirsten Jahn
• San Diego Regional Champions
• San Diego Regional Judges Award
• San Diego Regional Best Website Award
• Pennsylvania Robot Challenge Finalist
2010
2010 was Miss Daisy’s most successful year ever. At both the New York City and
Philadelphia Regionals, Miss Daisy came out on top as #1 seed and later went
on to win both regionals! It’s hard to top two regional wins but Miss Daisy and
her crew went on to the Championships with high hopes and came home with
highest honor in FIRST®: the Championship Chairman’s Award. No words can
describe the joy our team felt when this award was announced - it truly was a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Daisy team now has so many new plans for
our future and can’t wait to help even more FIRST® teams in the years to come!
2010 Awards at a Glance
• Championship Chairman’s Award
• Championship Website Excellence Award
• Philadelphia Regional Champions
• Philadelphia Regional Chairman’s Award
• Philadelphia Regional Co-opertition Award
• Philadelphia Regional Best Website Award
• Philadelphia Regional Dean’s List Award: Evan Ostrow
• New York City Regional Champions
• New York City Regional Best Website Award
• New York City Regional Kleiner-Perkins Entrepreneurship Award
11
Management & Organization
A focus on management and organization has allowed Team 341 to function properly and achieve the success for which
we strive.
Mentors of Team 341 are members of Wissahickon School District’s faculty as well as some dedicated parents and former
team members who were willing to help students learn, grow, and have an interest in the FIRST® Robotics organization.
These mentors have been very active in the development of the team. The mentors of Miss Daisy put in approximately
two hundred and seventy hours during the six week build season keeping the team on track, making sure the team has
all the required equipment and supplies, and controlling all of the official financial transactions. The Wissahickon School
District provides compensation for mentors for the time and energy they put into the program. Because of the increased
interest in the robotics team over the past few years, mentors also choose who they feel could best contribute to the
team from the applicants who apply for team membership. Another important decision that the mentors of Team 341
need to make is which regional competitions to attend along with which team members have put in the hours and
accomplished their goals, thus deserving to attend the specific competitions.
Miss Daisy has been very fortunate to have so many of her graduated students return to help out the team each year, due
in large part to our emphasis on mentoring and leadership on the team. Some of these students have been associated
with the team since it was founded in 1999 and are able to give valuable information and guidance that continues to
make Team 341 great each year. Miss Daisy’s college mentors also help with the programming and building of the robot,
CAD, animation, media, and web development. In appreciation for everything that FIRST® has given to them, these
students also return to serve as field crew, officials, and inspectors at regional competitions. Two of our former college
mentors are now part of the coaching staff.
While the mentors of Team 341 put much time and effort into the team, much leadership comes from the student
members. The student members of Miss Daisy are students of Wissahickon High School. In order to be as productive as
possible, the entire team is divided into nine subcategories of three to twenty students who work together to accomplish
goals set for each day. Some examples of these subcategories include CAD, animation, business, awards, design, electrical,
media, web, programming, and imagery. Each subgroup has appointed leaders who are experienced in the field to make
sure that the members of the group are staying on track, to assist where needed, and to keep in contact with mentors.
Social and educational experiences are the most rewarding aspects that students receive being a part of the robotics
team. Students are able to meet people from other grades, backgrounds, and walks of life that they may not have met
in a normal high school setting. Each year, the mentors of Miss Daisy hold a team-building night where all members of
the team learn how to work together and develop problem-solving skills. By splitting the entire team into smaller groups,
everyone has the chance to work with people that are not normally in their project group. All of the students look
forward to this event as a way to bond with team members new and old.
Team 341 has put a considerable amount of time and thought into making sure the team runs as efficiently as possible.
By dividing the team into project subgroups, it allows for more productivity since it is easier to communicate in smaller
groups than it would be with the entire team. When you put all of the components together in the end, the final
product is the well-run and organized Miss Daisy team.
12
Operations
Organization is key for Team 341 to operate and be
successful. There are many subdivisions that focus on
certain tasks. Being a student-built team is a bonus
because students, usually seniors who are advanced and
well-acquainted with their specialty, are given the honor
of being a captain of that particular division. The captains
are in charge of making sure everyone is on task and share
their knowledge with others. This gives the students the
opportunity to show leadership and control. Our team
believes the more involved the members are, the better off
the team and students will be in the future.
The ability to build a robot that works well and plays the
game successfully is a key factor for FRC® teams. Miss
Daisy has two divisions known as the design team and
the pit crew that deal with the mechanical and electrical
side of the team. These two subgroups work hand-inhand, so many of the students are involved with both.
The two together are our build team which consists of
about twenty students. The design team is responsible
for researching parts and creating the final design and
mechanics for the robot. Then the build team goes
to work to complete the robot in six weeks. During
competitions the pit crew’s job becomes demanding. This
group is responsible for making any repairs on Miss Daisy
and making sure she is ready for each of her matches. As
these two divisions have their hands filled with tools, the
many other divisions are hard at work on their projects.
13
Programming is essential to having a working robot. The
number of members on our team in this subgroup has
been growing. The programmers are accountable for
creating programs for the drive system, autonomous
mode, and other complex parts of the robot. In prior years
they have had to program vision cameras and gyros. Our
programming team works long hours alongside the build
team to accomplish the goal of building an operational
robot.
As the build and programming teams are working on
the robot, we have a CAD team and an animation team
producing a CAD drawing of the robot and an animation
video, using Autodesk Inventor Professional and Maya. If
a member would like to get involved with either of these
teams it is the captain’s responsibility to instruct them how
to use the program. Many hours in front of a computer
eventually produce a wonderful product that shows
dedication and creativity.
As a robotics team, we are involved in an array of
activities. We have a media team that captures the team’s
happenings either on video or in photographs. Over the
course of both the season and off-season, a large amount
of video and pictures are taken. It is this subgroup’s job
to organize the media, and construct video and photo
presentations for sponsors, community demonstrations,
and specialized awards. The media team is responsible
for the design and maintenance of Miss Daisy’s website.
Another one of their main projects is to update and
improve Team in a Box, a DVD designed by Miss Daisy
students to help rookie teams and their mentors. The
media team is also crucial to the scouting team. Footage
of opposing teams allows the scouting subgroup to learn
more about other robots and prepare our booth crew for
upcoming matches.
The scouting team is a strategic group on our team. It is
their duty to observe opposing teams and plan a strategy
for, or against, them in a competition round. A database
is made by this group to organize and analyze the different
teams participating in the specific competition. Their
knowledge of opposing team’s robots allows us to choose
our alliances wisely during selections if we are located in
the top eight teams at the end of qualifying rounds.
If not, then it is their job to sell our team to those who
are in the top eight. Many teams offer to help provide
information on other teams – this is known as a scouting
network. Our team is always willing to help other teams
in designing a database that fits the needs of their team.
Having good communication skills and an open mind are
very important when involved with this subgroup.
Maintaining a uniformed theme throughout the team is
an important part of our team. We have an imagery group
that designs our pit, the accessories our team members
choose to wear, and our robot’s art. This helps our team
compete for the Imagery Award at competitions. Without
this subgroup, Miss Daisy would not be as recognized as
she is today.
When many people originally hear about FIRST®, they
think of only robots, drills, and tools. FIRST® is much more
than that, and so is our team. We compete for many of
the other awards given by FIRST®, such as the Chairman’s
Award. The Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious
award given by FIRST®. It is awarded for the commitment
to spreading the principles of the FIRST® organization.
Team 341 was honored to win this award in 2010. Our
submission was student-written, and our three student
presenters worked diligently with both mentors and other
students to prepare for the presentation to the judges.
Along with Chairman’s, Woodie Flowers, Dean’s List, and
other submissions are written by the awards team. These
members are always busy writing and updating the award
submissions.
Team Breakdown by Subgroup
Though our team is a non-profit organization, a business
sense is still needed. Our business team subgroup helps
our mentors organize fundraisers and expenses such
as traveling fees, entrance fees, and material fees. In
addition, the business team manages documentation of
building expenses. Other than managing our budget, the
business team is responsible for writing a well-structured
business plan on the complete workings of our team. This
document is presented to the officials at regional and
championship competitions to be judged. This subgroup
helps keep our team financially organized.
All of these subgroups are fundamental to the progress
of Team 341. Students show professionalism and hard
work within each of these subgroups. The students are
allowed to be in more than one group at a time, as long as
they manage their time well and complete the tasks given
to them. As team members are busy drilling, preparing
awards, and working with numbers, mentors watch over
the team and offer assistance when needed. However, the
mentors allow the students to drive the team’s direction.
Without the mentors, the team would be nothing.
As a team comprised of many students, these subgroups
are very important to the growth of Team 341. They bring
organization to the team and offer guidance along the
path to success.
14
Marketing Plan
Team 341 will continue to reach out to a number of markets during the 2011 competition season. In order to be
successful in having these markets know who we are and what we do, specific strategies have to be created to satisfy
each group’s need. The four P’s of production (price, product, position, and promotion) must be designed to satisfy these
needs. Some of our markets, especially sponsor and community markets, invest both time and financial support in to the
creation of Miss Daisy. In addition, we have enhanced our marketing position by increasing community involvement over
the years.
During each season, over $75,000 is needed to build a competition robot and twin, as well as operate the team. Due to
the rising costs of keeping Team 341 in production, Miss Daisy requires support from outside sources and fundraisers.
Sponsors not only assist the team by supplying monetary funds, but also equipment, mentorship, and community
exposure. In order to receive these benefits, Team 341 needs to approach potential sponsors and demonstrate that a
relationship with a high school FIRST® Robotics team will be rewarding. With each of our successes, sponsors see that
their investment in the team enhances the future growth of their industry.
Team 341 focuses on sustainability by not relying on a single sponsor or only sponsors within a certain industry. We
currently have 12 sponsors spanning such diverse industries as national defense, industrial part supply, cable television,
pharmaceuticals, and retail.
Many of Team 341’s sponsors have gone above and beyond to ensure Miss Daisy’s continued accomplishments. In
appreciation of the sponsorships, members of the team honor our sponsors by giving presentations to the companies,
presenting the companies with banners, and hosting other special events.
After having many successful seasons, Miss Daisy continues the initiative of promoting the team and the FIRST®
organization throughout our local community. Television specials have been created by members of the team and
televised across the school district’s television station to allow members of the community to learn more about our team
and our work. The team has recently been involved in filming a PBS documentary and helped a filmmaker to create a
feature film on robotics. The Wissahickon Educational Opportunities Foundation (WEOF) has become an activist for
Team 341 by searching for grants and sponsorships to allow Miss Daisy to continue to be a positive influence in so many
of the team members’ lives. The local newspaper often features articles to highlight Miss Daisy’s accomplishments both
locally and nationally.
Our involvement within the area has gained the team great respect. Team 341 hopes to continue to receive the support
of our entire community while providing an exciting experience for those interested in robotics, mathematics, science,
business, and technology.
Team 341 promotes itself within the school as an extracurricular activity that has numerous benefits. Students may
also be enticed with the opportunity to receive scholarships, to learn skills in a career field they are interested in, and
to meet new people. The easiest way to propagate our robotics team is through word-of-mouth. It is free marketing
and members of the team do it subconsciously by boasting the team’s winning record. In addition, announcements are
made to inform the school population about the team’s achievements and upcoming events. Ramp Riot, our off-season
competition, attracts many students to the team, as do our many demonstrations at the elementary schools and greater
community.
The opportunity cost of joining Team 341 can vary greatly from member to member. Members of Miss Daisy spend
almost twenty-nine hours a week at robotics, a combined 8,700 hours of the six week build season. They spend this
time working on various tasks to put the entire robot and its components together, work on award submissions, and
media projects. Students must be cautious of their grades during this time period to make sure that they stay eligible
15
to participate academically, but team members are always available to help each other with their studies. For struggling
students, the coaches find other team members to work closely with them so that no one has to miss out because of
grades. Being a member of Team 341 is a fun and rewarding experience that makes the long hours and dedication the
crew puts in worthwhile. Miss Daisy’s largest market is other FIRST® teams. Team 341 has created a name for ourselves among teams in the
United States and around the world. The sum of our time and money goes in to creating pins, hats, shirts, and other
miscellaneous apparel to distribute during competitions. When creating a pit design, choosing uniforms, and decorating
our robot, we keep a uniformed theme so we are easily recognized.
During the off-season, Team 341 hosts what some teams and regional director Mike Robbins call, “the only off-season
competition that feels like a Regional event”, Ramp Riot. By hosting this enormous event, teams have come to realize that
Miss Daisy is a tough competitor and an amazing alliance partner.
Since Wissahickon High School’s robotics team was founded, Miss Daisy has continued to flourish from a small team to
one of Ambler, Pennsylvania’s finest teams by executing the four P’s of production.
16
Competitive Analysis
Since its inception in 1989, FIRST® has grown tremendously. The first competition was held in a New Hampshire gym
in 1992 with 28 teams. There are now over 2,000 teams from countries that span the globe and involve thousands
of students. As the program has grown, so to has the competitive spirit and quality of the teams. In the Philadelphia
suburban area, many teams became involved during the 2000 season with the game CO-OPERTITION FIRST™. Over
the years, Team 341’s biggest competitors have been teams located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Most of
these teams were created between 1997 and 2000. It is important for Team 341 to identify and analyze their competitors
strengths and weaknesses to be able to determine how they will compete at regional competitions.
One of Team 341’s biggest competitors is Team 357, – Royal Assault from Upper Darby High School. This award-winning
team is sponsored by Boeing, jcpenney, eStop Robotics, and the Upper Darby School District. In 2008, this team won
the Pittsburgh Regional, the Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award (Pittsburgh Regional) and the Autodesk
Visualization Award (Pittsburgh Regional). The 2007 and 2008 the team was also granted several provision patents for
“Batter-Ease”, “Jester Glide”, and the “MacAdaman Wheel”. This team is also a Regional Chairman’s Award winner (2003 –
Chesapeake Regional).
Team 222, Tigertrons from Tunkhannock Area High School is a big competitor during the season, but also during
off-season competitions. This successful team is sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Fastenal, Guyette Communication
Industries, Print to 3D, and the Tunkhannock Area School District. In 2009 this team won the Pittsburgh Regional, the
General Motors Industrial Design Award (Pittsburgh Regional), the Autodesk Visualization Award (Pittsburgh Regional),
and they were the Archimedes Division Winner at the Championships. In 2010 this team again won the General Motors
Industrial Design Award. This team also hosts their own off-season competition every May known as PARC – Pennsylvania
Robot Challenge.
Team 272, Lansdale Catholic Robotics is another neighboring team that is not only an ally but also a competitor. This
team is sponsored by Comcast, TPS Golf, jcpenney, asidrives.com, and Lansdale Catholic High School. In 2008 this team
won the Website Excellence Award. They were Regional Winners in 2007 (Pacific Northwest Regional) and 2006 (Buckeye
Regional) and the won the Regional Chairman’s Award in 2004 (FRC® Pittsburgh Regional).
Team 365, The Miracle Workerz (MOE) is one of our biggest competitors, but also one of our team’s closest allies.
This team is sponsored by DuPont, Boeing, PSEG Nuclear, jcpenney, National Girls Collaborative Project, W.L. Gore
& Associates, Ruland Manufacturing Co., Inc., Kohl’s and other local businesses. Moe is a FIRST® Hall of Fame Team,
winning the Championship Chairman’s Award in 2008. This very successful team has most recently won the Gracious
Professionalism Trophy in 2010 (Chesapeake Regional) and they were winners of the Philadelphia Regional in 2009.
In order to ensure we say competitive, Team 341 collects information on all of our competitors. This includes information
on their robots, results from the previous years, and other pertinent facts. Team 341 then uses this information to create
a plan for how to design, build, and compete to be successful. Identifying and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of
our major competitors allows Team 341 to achieve success.
17
Community Work
Over the past eleven years, it has become the
responsibility of Team 341 to go out into the neighboring
communities to promote our team and FIRST®. Although,
the motivation for such acts of good will is altruistic, there
are benefits for improvement of the community. Our
community work has enhanced the team’s reputation, but
has also improved the community by fostering an interest
in science, technology, engineering and math. Through
these contributions to the Philadelphia suburbs, Team 341
not only promoted FIRST®, but also sowed the seeds for
future assets.
During the course of the off-season, members of the Miss
Daisy crew attend special presentations at elementary,
middle, and high
Demonstrations
schools in the area,
sponsors, and local
• Driven by 35,000 people
businesses to provide
• 2,600 demonstrations
demonstrations about
conducted
our award-winning
• 420,000 people attended
events featuring Miss Daisy program. In the
past, demonstrations
have been conducted at DeVry University, Siemens
Corporation, Rohm & Haas, Ambler Rotary. The team
has also conducted demonstrations at the Philadelphia
76ers basketball games. These area appearances are
used to educate community members about the FIRST®
organization and inspire the youth to
get involved with math, science, or
technology programs in their schools.
Additional opportunities the team
has had to provide demonstrations
and assistance have been at the Girl
Scout Summer Robotics Camp, White
House Science Fair, USA Science and
Engineering Festival, Philadelphia
Science Festival, and Dean Kamen
Medal Ceremony.
Ambler Community Cupboard. At Ramp Riot 2010, over
1,000 canned goods were brought for the team to donate
during the holiday season. Other various charitable
activities that Team 341 has been a part of is collecting
equipment for sports players who do not have enough
money to buy proper gear and raise money for a fallen
area police officer’s family. In 2005 the team’s charity event
was the collection school supplies for children in Iraq. A
former Wissahickon student and current Army officer
contacted the team to find out if we would be interested
in running this event. Team 341 accepted the opportunity
and collected supplies during the month of December in
the school district’s elementary and middle schools. The
school communities donated 200 various school supplies,
ranging from pencils and pens to notebooks and binders
to send to Iraq.
One of the largest programs that Team 341 has taken
part in is becoming a mentor for rookie FIRST® teams.
Since the fall of 2002, Team 341 has mentored Team
1218, Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School. This
mentorship consisted of teaching them how to be a FIRST®
robotics team and how to be successful. During the 2004
season, just their second year of officially being a FIRST®
team, Team 1218 was part of the top four alliances at the
Championship Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the
years, Team 341 has also mentored the following teams,
When Miss Daisy hosts Ramp Riot,
an off-season competition that looks
and feels like a regional, the team tries
to help the community by asking
all teams and spectators to bring
nonperishable canned goods for the
18
several of which have gone on to win awards including the
Rookie All-Star Award:
• FRC®: 1168, 1712, 2234, 2283, 2607, 3032
• FTC®: 2046, 2052, 3131, 3132, 4252
• FLL®: 1503
Team 341’s wealth of experience has allowed us to mentor
and assist teams across FRC®, FTC®, and FLL®. We continue
to look for opportunities to mentor new teams.
For the past three years, Miss Daisy has held the annual
Girls in Gear© event at Ramp Riot. Girls in Gear© is a
STEM education program designed to introduce girls to
careers in technology. At this annual event there are robot
driving stations set up as well as a panel of female speakers
representing a variety of engineering disciplines. In August,
2004 Team 341 released a kit of materials to be used to
help teams conduct a Girls in Gear© event in conjunction
with a local robotics event.
Team 341 has continued to expand the borders of their
community through its international exchange with
Singapore. Every year since 2005, Singapore students have
come to Wissahickon High School and have experienced
American culture, and lifestyle.
Team 341 also expanded to the multimedia community.
Team 341 took the opportunity to be featured in an
independent film, and a PBS documentary both based on
19
FIRST® Robotics. The team saw this as an opportunity to
promote its name and services around the United States.
Team 341 continues to promote their name, and services
around the world to other FRC® teams. We are able to do
this because of their
very own Team in a Box Team in a Box
DVD. This DVD helps
• Viewed by 50,000 people
FRC® teams improve
• Delivered to 19 countries
their team, and helps
• 5,000 copies distributed
build new FRC® teams.
worldwide
Team in a Box was a
revolutionary idea that is well known among the FIRST®
community. It has helped numerous teams, and has had
a positive impact in FIRST®, being named a must-have
resource on the FIRST® website.
Being an active part of the community is one of the key
qualities of Team 341. The community involvement never
ends, since the crew of Miss Daisy is always going out and
looking for ways to spread the word about the FIRST®
organization, to help others, and thank everyone who
has been there for us over the past eleven years. Because
of all of this, the team was able to earn a place in FIRST®’s
President’s Circle.
Long Term Growth
Since the team’s beginning in late 1999, Team 341’s crew has increased in size from just over 10 students to 57. In order to
be as successful as possible, the team must limit our size for productivity and safety reasons.
Teams within FIRST® vary in size. Team 341 and its mentors believe the team benefits from a certain amount of team
members, depending on how many coaches and mentors the team has. For the 2011 year, Miss Daisy’s mentors increased
the team size to 57 based on the tasks to be completed and increasing interest in the team.
Miss Daisy’s mentors factor in the safety of the students along with experience. The safety of the students is the number
one priority for all of our mentors. Making sure there is always a coach or mentor around to watch the students, along
with helping them, is always in mind. Once safety is covered, the students and mentors go work on the robot and awards.
Not only did our team grow in the size of students, but the number of female students enrolling in the program has
reached a remarkable amount. They have obtained many leadership roles over the years. This year, five of our head
captains are female members. Team 341 hopes to continue drawing in females in the years to come and show them what
science and technology has to offer.
Over the past few years, mentors have come and gone. We are fortunate to have many college student mentors who were
former team members that come back and use their skills and knowledge to help the new daisies achieve their goals. We
are also fortunate to have several parent mentors and a supportive parent base. Without their help Team 341 would have
to work much harder to maintain their status and level of success. Team 341 is always on the lookout for more mentors to
expand the amount of subdivisions our team has to offer.
The team’s progress has grown each and every year, along with the diversity and amount of team members. It will
continue to grow along with the spirit of FIRST®.
Team Make-Up
Number of Team Members Per Year
20
Budget – Expenses
REQUIRED COMPETITION FEES AND LOGISTICS
A. Competition Entrance Fees: FIRST® charges all teams an entrance fee to cover the cost of staging the events and
supplying certain required robot components.
1) Philadelphia Regional Competition Entrance Fee
2) Championship Competition Entrance Fee
3) Florida Regional Competition Entrance Fee
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
B. Freight Charges: It is a requirement of the competition that all equipment and robots are shipped to the
competition site by a FIRST® designated freight carrier in regulation crates.
= $withheld
CONSTRUCTION COSTS
A. Robot Construction Materials: Includes stock metal, hardware, drive components, spare parts, etc...
= $withheld
B. Practice Field Construction Materials: Each year certain parts of the field must be built in order to design the
robot. Structural metal, wood paneling, playing surface, game objects, and hardware.
= $withheld
C. Machined/Welded Components: Vendor manufacture of components or systems considered too complex or
dangerous for the student team.
= $withheld
D. Tools and Equipment Contingency: Unanticipated additional hand tools and repair equipment for use during the
construction process and for pit crew area during competition. = $withheld
REGIONAL/NATIONAL COMPETITION TRAVEL (Student/ Faculty Travel and Accommodations)
A. Philadelphia Regional Competitions
The Philadelphia Regional competition is a three day event with a daily local commute. Local Bus Transport covered by
Wissahickon School District.
= $withheld
B. Championship Competition (Student/ Faculty Travel and Accommodations)
The Championship competition is a five-day, four-night event. 36 student members, 5 mentors/coaches, and 2 parent
chaperones will travel to the competition. Hotel rates below are based on group rates with 4 students to each room for
4 nights and competition shuttle service.
21
1) Hotel Rooms
2) Airfare
= $withheld
= $withheld
C. Florida Regional Competition (Student/Faculty Travel and Accommodations)
The second regional competition is a four-day, three-night event. 36 student members, 5 faculty coaches, and 2 parent
chaperones will travel to the competition. Hotel rates below are based on group rates with 4 students to each room for
3 nights.
1) Hotel Rooms
2) Airfare
3) Shuttle Bus Service
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
D. Need Based Travel Donations
Several students per year, require financial assistance in order to afford competition travel. Team 341 strives to ensure
that deserving students are not excluded from travel.
= $withheld
NON-TECHNICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
A. Uniforms: FIRST® encourages all teams to wear a uniform for the purpose of identifying teams and enhancing the
atmosphere of the event.
1) Practice Day T-shirts
2) Annual Uniform Replacement Costs
= $withheld
= $withheld
B. Promotional Items: FIRST® encourages all teams to produce promotional items such as buttons, banners and
informational flyers to honor sponsors and enhance the atmosphere of the event. It is common practice for all teams
to distribute and display these items. These items are also used throughout the year for such events as elementary
school presentations.
1) Sponsor Banners
2) Buttons
3) Fliers and Handouts
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
C. Team Banquet Awards and Trophies: Awards to honor our student team, sponsors, and exemplary senior
members at the annual team banquet
= $withheld
D. Hall of Fame Display: All teams inducted into the FIRST® Hall of Fame must provide a professional-level, public
display at the Championship Competition
= $withheld
RAMP RIOT 2010, OFF-SEASON COMPETITION
A. Event Insurance: Donated by FIRST®
B. Competition Field and Controls
C. Field Shipping: Round trip shipping of field parts, carpet
and goals between Manchester, NH and Ambler, PA
D. Event Media & AV Equipment Rentals
E. Event T-shirts for Staff and Volunteers
F. Table Rental for Pit Area
G. Event DJ: It is an expectation that a FIRST® event will have
music playing for the course of the competition
H. Game Day Awards and Trophies
I. Supply Contingency: Unanticipated supplies for use in the
field construction and/or event day logistics
J. FIRST® secondary field donation
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
= $withheld
22
Budget – Summary
Expenditures
Competition Fees & Logistics
$withheld
Construction Costs
$withheld
Regional/Championship Competition Travel $withheld
Non-Competition Supplies and Equipment $withheld
Ramp Riot 2010, Off-season Competition $withheld
Sub Total
$withheld
Income (Donations, Awards, & Fundraising)
FIRST® Championship Fee Waiver
$withheld (Registration only)
Fall 2010 Account Balance
$withheld
Cobham$withheld
AndyMark Corporation
$withheld
jcpenney Donation
$withheld
jcpenney In-kind donations
$withheld
BAE Systems Donation
$withheld
Comcast Donation
$withheld
DeVry University Donation
$withheld
Lockheed Martin Donation
$withheld
Centocor Ortho Biotech Donation (WEOF) $withheld
PA State Grant (WEOF)
$withheld (Equipment only)
Wissahickon School District
$withheld
Ramp Riot 2010 Income
$withheld
Student Travel Fees (from families)
$withheld
Sub Total
$withheld
ANTICIPATED END OF YEAR BALANCE $withheld
23