Thunderbots - STEM Exchange Program - Presented at First Championship Houston

1. Avanti Ramraj
Diya Iyer
Easha Narayanan
Samyukta Sudheer
Our journey to bring FLL
and STEM to kids around
the world.

2. Thunderbots Workshop

3. ● Our Journey through (FLL)
○ Who are we
○ Our Innovations over the years
● Our Goals
○ Make FLL and STEM available for every kid
○ Become FLL ambassadors for life
● Plans to achieve our Goals
○ Use Public libraries as a platform to offer Robotics classes
○ Introduce FLL robotics in all schools in every state as a class
● What are we doing
○ We offer robotics STEM programs at local libraries
● What can you do: how we can help
○ You can do this too.
○ We will be right here waiting for you
○ Thunderbots Portal

4. Who are we Who are we?
From: Sacramento California
Joined FLL in: 2013 Team: #428
Team Names (from left to right):
1. Avanti Ramraj
2. Easha Narayanan
3. Diya Iyer
4. Samy Sudheer

5. 2014-2015
Season: Word Class
Education
Problem: Multi-cultural
Literacy
Solution: Thunderlingo
2013-2014
Season: Nature’s Fury
Problem: Wildfires
Solution: Fire
Monitoring App
2015-2016
Season: Trash Trek
Problem: Packaging Waste
Solution:
UltraLeafPackaging
2017-2018
Season: HydroDynamics
Problem: Clean Water
Crisis
Solution:
UltraOrganixFilter
2018-2019
Season: Into Orbit
Problem: Muscle
Atrophy
Solution: UMuscle
Our Innovative Solutions Over the Years
The Thunderbots Journey
Starts Here
2016-2017
Season: Animal Allies
Problem: Elephant
Poaching
Solution: Jungle Dash

6. Sharing, sharing...and more sharing!

7. Sweet Awards Over the Years
● Nature's Fury: Enthusiasm
● World Class: Project, 2nd
Place Programming
● Trash Trek: Championship,
1st Place Mechanical Design
● Animal Allies: Project
● HydroDynamics:
Championship, Favorite Pit
Design, Coolest Project,
Global Innovation Finalist
● Into Orbit: Best Team
Giveaway, Best Pit Design,
1st Place Inspiration

8. Dan Bassi motivated us

9. What we learned/experienced
at Global Innovation
- Workshops: Business
Model Secrets, Peer to
Peer, Three Cheers for
Project, Design Thinking
and many more!
- Sponsors: LEGO®
Education

10. On the Global Stage

11. Sacramento Public Library
● Teach how to build a basic robot with
motors and sensors.
● Teach simple step-by-step
programming and build attachments
● Teach simple problem solving skills
that can be applied in the real world
● Mentored 30+ kids about FLL
What do we do in the program?

12. What can YOU do to get this in your local library?
● Reach out!
● Sponsors
● TIP: Start small! The program will grow
larger as time passes
There are just a few steps to get these programs started...

13. A Step by Step Guide
Step Task
Signup Log into ThunderPortal and search for libraries
Library Approval Use our Standard letters to discuss with the librarian. Help them help you
Robot and Game Get a Mat from last year. Donate a board. Library can order Brick and kits
What to teach We have classes and guides on what you can team on a week by week basis
Schedule Library will set up schedule and publish program. Nothing for the team to do
Running Classes Be at the class. At least 2 team members. Feel the Sense of Purpose…..
Get ready to be amazed at the difference you make

14. Program Implementation Cost?
Item Cost
Lego Education EV3 kit $450
Scheduling session No cost
Recruiting signups No cost
Conducting session your volunteer hours
Cost for each library
Total Cost $450 for one library

15. How much Time do you spend?
Item Time
Reach out to a library 4 hours
Library Program approval 2 to 4 months
Classes 1.5 hours to 3 a week
Practice at the library no extra net time
You really spend 3 hours a week and divii up the work

16. Community Impact
Who What
Library Is there a better place to motivate kids to engage in STEM. Libraries want to
promote and meet STEM goals. You will help them
FLL Teams Give back what you got from FLL. Change the world, one kid at a time.
Community Volunteer Goals met
You can even just practice your games at the library. knowledge will spread
Children Children will stumble into STEM and realize they can programs toys and will
come back for more.. Will want to join this journey into FLL…
FIRST FIRST reaches kids and even underprivileged kids and draws them into a
future world of STEM… Without spending too much dime.. Yeah
All Will become ambassadors of STEM and FIRST.. our dream to dream…..
Take the first step.. you have nothing to lose….

17. Hear it from Bruce
Bruce Barber , Library Supervisor Orangevale CA

18. Invited to California State Capitol
● We were invited by
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley to
the California State Capitol
● We talked about
implementing FLL in schools
● Presented our solution to
him in his office

19. Our Future Visions
● Thunderportal
-A portal where there will be session plans to make it
easier for teams to teach the kids
-Online teaching tips
-Get help with daily classes
-Librarians can meet other FLL teams
● Donation Program
-Retiring teams can donate old mats and kits to create
more challenges for the kids
-Retiring teams can donate pieces so kids will have a
larger variety of pieces to build with

20. Quiz Time!!

21. Where are we from?
A. Sacramento
B. New York City
C. Houston
D. Los Angeles
Sacramento

22. What’s our team number?
A. #842
B. #4028
C. #428
D. #482
#428

23. Who was the California
assemblyman we met?
A. Sudheer Padinchara
B. Bob Ross
C. Dean Kamen
D. Kevin Kiley
Kevin
Kiley

24. What was the year we
started FLL?
A. 2017
B. 2012
C. 2013
D. 2015
2013

25. What’s the initial startup
cost?
A. Free
B. $450
C. $500
D. $275
$250
FREE!

26. What’s the best way to start a
program in your own library?
A. Play more videogames
B. Talk to your local
library
C. Bake a cake
D. Read more books
Talk to
your local
library

27. Where can libraries get
field mats and EV3 kits?
A. An ice cream shop
B. A LEGO® Store
C. A mall
D. Donations from
retiring FLL teams
Donations
from retiring
FLL teams

28. What’s the importance of
spreading the word about FLL?
A. To get rid of boredom
B. To brag to your friends
C. To get more kids
interested in STEM
D. To #tweet about it
To get more
kids interested
in STEM

29. Q and A

30. Thunderbots STEM Program through library
Website: http://www.thunderbotsfll.com/
Twitter: @Thunderbotsfll
Instagram: @thunderbotsfll
Email: thunderbotsteam@gmail.com
Phone Number: +1(916)606-0868
STEM library program in FLL Blog :
https://fllblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/thunderbots-make-stem-loud-and-accessible//
To start your own library program, feel free to contact
us by registering on our website! We will gladly help!
First Championship Houston
Session Details:
Date of Session: Friday, April 19, 2019
Time of Session: 9:30AM - 10:20AM
Room Location: 370E
Conference Track: Diversity & Inclusion
Session Name: Taking FLL to underprivileged
kids and enabling schools to offer Robotics