As an up and coming district wide team, we the Circuit Breakers, strive to make what we

do as enjoyable and inclusive as possible, by making sure to have a great time, while doing
great things, with great people, all while reaching out to our community. This is all made
possible thanks to our team being jointly mentor and student lead, which means we have both
mentors and students working with one another to organize the team, as well as research,
design, and construct the robots to be used in competition. As far as team organization is
concerned, we have experienced mentors set up the general itinerary for each meeting as a
premise, and have student Co - Captains interact directly with the team members to orientate
everyone and keep work incentive. With Co-Captains organizing and leading the team in our
pre-build processes, and oversee the entire building procedure, with mentors providing insightful
overviews and explanations for the rookie members when needed. These captains are not
chosen by their experience in their chosen field, but by their ability to keep the team
communicating, delegate jobs appropriately, and maintain stability in their own workspace, as
either a programmer, electrician, or mechanic. To make our team more efficient, each sub-group
has a leader, chosen by the Captains, that will report back to the Captains, and communicate
with the leaders of the other sub-groups. These leaders are always veteran members, to
minimize any misunderstandings due to lack of experience.
To change the atmosphere from that of a group of people just in the same room working
on some project into one of a team, we focus on positivity and try to ensure that robotics is a
supportive and encouraging environment for everyone. To evoke such a feels, we heavily focus
on strengthening bonds between team members, we even go so far as to hold an annual
roboetry event, in which each person writes a poem pertaining to robotics or the robotics team,
and recites it onstage in a local caf. Through this, all team members are able to see a little
more of each persons personality which otherwise may of gone unnoticed. In addition, the
resulting conversations and recaps of favorite moments bring the team together and welcomes
newer team members with inside jokes and genuine smiles which leads to the sense of comfort
that we strive for in our team.
However, our positivity is not confined within the walls of our lab. During competitions
and build season, gracious professionalism is our forte. Build season is a very hectic time, when
we, instead of meeting every Friday for two hours, meet six days a week for at least 4 hours,
along with juggling the pressure of school, homework, and other extracurricular activities.
Naturally, this takes a toll on everybody, yet the majority of our members are still arriving at
every meeting, with fairly cheerful attitudes, and are always ready to work. There have been no
impatient outbursts at having to wait to use the one boxcutter in the lab, or at having to be
crammed in the power tool room while having to share space with people using or wanting to
use the drill presses and the band or chop saw, all located in an eight by six foot room. The fact
that our fellow team members have gotten along so frighteningly well thus far into build season
gives us the confidence needed to say, without hesitation, that while at any competition, our
team will cheer for everybody, regardless of which alliance they are on, even if were on the
opposing alliance. After all, we know that the act of building a robot is no mean feat, and every
team that has gone through the arduous process of build season and ended it with a functional
robot is deserving of our support. This respect is applied even when off the field and in the pit,

as we do not turn away any team that asks for our help or advice. If one team doesnt have a
screwdriver or an electric drill, we are more than willing to lend a helping hand. We try to make
this a habit amongst our fellow team members, rather than an attitude. Our team rules highlight
the way we think and strive to act, as quoted from the Circuit Breakers website
(http://edhusdrobotics.org/mission.html):
Safety first
Every idea has value
Listen courteously without interruption to both individuals and groups
Zero humiliation - treat each other with mutual respect
If you dont understand ASK
If you sort of understand ASK
All questions are important
Laugh a lot - tell funny, appropriate jokes
Measure twice, cut once!

Meanwhile, within the El Dorado Union High School District, our influence has spread.
Last year, we had eight members, almost exclusively from Union Mine High School and El
Dorado. This year, however, we have essentially tripled the size of our team, with at least 25
students showing up at nearly every meeting. These students are not just from Union Mine and
El Dorado, but also from Ponderosa, Oak Ridge, and the Virtual Academy, all of which are able
to unite under one roof. As a result, we have a highly dedicated team of students, all determined
to make our robot the best that it can be.
To spread a little bit of information about robotics and earn some money from the rest of
the community, we had an e-waste drive on November 21, 2015. We put up signs all over the
neighborhood, letting people know that if they had any old or broken electronics, we could take
them. The day ended up being more of a success than we had expected; we collected over a
ton and a half of e-waste, and were able to inform a large quantity of people about FIRST and
its purpose, along with its benefits and effects.
The effect our team has on its members is huge. Last year, we had only eight people.
That meant that when build season arrived, with Recycle Rush as the game, those eight people
only had six weeks to build a fully functional robot. Most groups that small would give up and
forgo competitions for the year. But not the Circuit Breakers. By the time build season ended,
our robot Endervinna stood gleaming and ready to compete, while costing under $1500 to build.
We accomplished this staggering feat because of our determination and the love of robotics our
team has instilled in us. Even after some members graduate, they still feel the pull of Team 3189
and return as mentors. Our current Programming mentors graduated three years ago, and still
return to teach the next generation. Even alumni members come and visit sometimes, all
bearing stories from college and the scientific fields that they are working in, reminding us of the
futures we are all aiming for. Our alumni have gotten into high competition schools such as MIT,
Cal Tech, Berkeley, Cal Poly, and ERAU, colleges that students from rural El Dorado county
wouldnt usually even aim for. From our wide array of mentors and returning alumni, our
members have been exposed to fields that they wouldnt have otherwise been exposed to. As a

result, some of our current members have decided on epic career paths thanks to what they
have learned while on our team, and are continually gaining skills to help them in their future
jobs. From prosthetic arms and organs to game and app development, our team members
dreams reach far. The team structure weve established has given all our members motivation
and guidance to move forward and achieve those dreams.
To summarize, our team consists of driven, hard working students who are determined
to go far in the world. We have worked extremely hard to promote knowledge of FIRST,
robotics, and science as a whole to people of all ages. We have tripled in size and formed a
team dedicated to introducing children to mind expanding activities. Through the multitude of
ways we have accomplished this, our team members have gained valuable leadership
experience and insight as to how important the sciences are, and how much of an effect one
team can have on so many lives. We have learned how to work as a team, each group
collaborating with each other in a professional manner. And on and off the field, we have
embraced gracious professionalism and enjoyed supporting everyone who has taken part in the
wonderful world of robotics. Thanks to FIRST, the members of Circuit Breakers have
opportunities that we may have never had otherwise, gained invaluable experience that will help
us in the adult world, and bettered both our lives and the lives of others.