Outreach
John and Judy Gay Public Library
Through our partnership with the John and Judy Gay Public Library, our team has the amazing opportunity to inspire and educate kids of all ages about STEM and robotics.
During our bi-monthly sessions, we engage with over 30 new students over the course of two hours, sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm for STEM topics.
Through this work, kids gain exposure to a variety of robotics concepts and activities, and develop problem-solving skills, enhance their critical thinking abilities, and build confidence as they explore new and challenging topic, building a future generation of innovators.
Flags for Federal Holidays
The McKinney Rotary Club is a community-focused organization that works to make a positive impact in our community. One of their initiatives is putting up flags for federal holidays, which honors the sacrifices of those who have served.
These flags symbolize the values and principles that our nation holds dear, reminding everyone of the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. By participating in this meaningful activity, our team helps instill a sense of pride and appreciation for our country among community members.
The funds raised from this initiative help our program thrive and provide valuable opportunities for young students. Our program offers a platform for students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, all of which are essential in today's rapidly evolving world.
Events
Hosting events in McKinney serves as a platform for education, learning, and collaboration for teams across Collin County. By bringing these teams together, they are able to showcase the incredible work they have done and learn from one another in a supportive and engaging environment.
Without these events in McKinney, many teams would have to travel 30+ miles to participate, which can be a significant barrier for many students and their families. By hosting these events locally, we are able to remove this barrier and provide access to high-quality STEM education and learning opportunities for everyone in our community.
Skill-Building & Enhancing Workshops
The Mercenaries host many skill-building and enhancing workshops, such as 3D Printing & Manufacturing, CAD, and Welding. By hosting these workshops, we provide an opportunity for students to learn about this technology and use it in their own projects, at robotics and at home.
This is especially beneficial to those looking at STEM-related careers as these technologies become increasingly more important in our world. By learning these skills as a student, they gain a unique perspective during the design process and start to open another world of possibilities in the problem-solving cycle.
Summer Camps
Our camps focus on introducing students to FIRST LEGO League, a robotics competition designed for students aged 6-16. Through our camps, participants work in teams to design, build, and program LEGO robots to compete a series of tasks.
Our camps help students develop crucial skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking while having fun coding and building with LEGO! By introducing them to FLL, we are also exposing them to STEM fields, potentially sparking an interest in a future career. These camps are also a great way to get a head start into robotics!
Starting & Supporting African Teams
The WAAW (Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women) Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting STEM education in Africa. They believe that through education and technology access, African youth can unlock their full potential and contribute to the continent's development.
Through our partnership, we demonstrated robotics at the WAAW 2023 Summit in Capetown, where participants got hands-on experience with robotics. These participants took this experience to great heights, eventually leading to the start and support of 3 new teams. Then, they competed in the Pan-African Robotics Competition, where they learned valuable skills that will help them in many stages of life.
McKinney STEAM Academy
