Walton Robotics team at the 2015 East Cobber Parade
Team members Simran and Ria at the 2015 GRITS event
Team member Brendan teaching kids how to drive Stacker Bot
Walton Robotics, FIRST Team 2974, started in 2008 in Marietta, GA with 10 members, 2 mentors and 2 sponsors. We now have 43 members, 18 mentors and 20 sponsors.
Our most significant challenges come from lack of an independent build site. We are currently working out of our high school, but we do not get financial support from the high school, school district, or state.
Contributions from parents and corporations fund our robot, outreach, training, travel, and facility costs. Our non-profit Walton Robotics Foundation raises and manages team funds, and our sponsors generously provide $45,000 in grants and substantial time in kind support.
Our coach, a Walton High teacher, spends 1,000 hours yearly on FIRST. Unlike other coaches at school, he is not compensated for time spent outside class. It has been impossible to find another teacher to help for free, and we will be lost if he retires as coach. Similarly, an accomplished FRC team in our area lost all school support and must now function without that help (We support the independent community team formed in its place, East Cobb Robotics Team 4910). We have begun discussions with state officials about obtaining permanent funding for robotics coaches.
Lastly, we had to find a space to house our team, and we have moved three times in the last 3 years. This challenge provided us with a remarkable opportunity: creating the Walton Regional Robotics Center. Unfortunately, we have been relocated to our school due to the loss of that resource. We are still able to run full-scale competitions, open-field builds, and scrimmage events, but we continue to search for an independent, permanent work site.
To learn about the various departments of our team, hover over the dropdown at the top of your screen, and select the department you would like to learn about. Thanks for reading!