Interested in joining the South Eugene Robotics Team? Excellent! Below you will find a brief overview of SERT along with how to join and what to expect. If you have any questions that are not answered below, feel free to email us at [email protected].

What We Do

We build a 100+ lb robot from the ground up, travel to competitions, run STEM summer camps, learn engineering skills, and create lifelong friendships. Joining SERT could be the highlight of your year! 

If you're interested in STEM, engineering, programming, business, journalism, marketing, or robotics, then you have a place with us. All are welcome: we're a diverse, affirming, inclusive team. No experience necessary. 

How to Join

The first step is to come to one of our meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 PM. We meet in the foundry at South Eugene High School (Door 528 in the IHS hall). If you are coming from outside, you can find the foundry door across from the soccer fields (exterior Door 20 - map). You don’t have to register or ask in advance… you can just drop in.

What to Expect

SERT has many different groups that work together to build our robots and manage all the various aspects of a robotics team. We have sub-teams that focus on: electrical, software, mechanical, business, CAD, media, and strategy work. Most new members try out a few different sub-teams before they find the place they like best.

When you arrive for the first time, tell someone it’s your first day and that you’re interested in learning about the team. Either a student or an adult mentor will give you a tour and talk with you about your interests. At the beginning of the school year we’ll have learning modules where new members can learn the fundamentals of what each sub-team does. If you join later in the school year, you can shadow SERT members to learn more about the various sub-teams.

It’s normal to feel a little uncomfortable in new situations and to worry about where you fit. It’s not just you – every student on the team went through that stage at first. Push through it, though, and try out a bunch of different sub-teams! With time, you’ll find your place and start developing skills that will make you essential to the team later down the road.

Safety

Our team takes safety seriously and there will be a compulsory safety test for everyone. Don’t panic – there's nothing tricky here! We regularly go over our safety rules at meetings, and most are common sense. Plus, our safety captain makes sure every student is prepared to take the test. If you miss questions, no problem. We'll go over those items with you, and you can take the test as many times as you need. Our goal is that everyone knows how to be safe in the workspace.

Competitions

SERT participates in a number of competitions throughout the year. Some competitions are day trips and others require overnight hotel stays. The competitions in the fall are largely for the purpose of practicing skills and preparing for the main season FIRST competitions. (FIRST is the organization that designs and runs our main competitions.) The official build season starts at the beginning of January, when the details of the year’s competition game are released. That’s when things get very, very busy. The main season competitions take place in March and involve overnight travel.

Cost

Families are expected to pay an annual due of $150 per student and to also cover their student’s travel costs. We can provide financial assistance to families for whom this would be a severe financial hardship. Additionally, SERT puts on multiple fundraisers throughout the year and seeks grants and sponsorships to cover the team’s remaining financial obligations. It’s very expensive to run a robotics team at this level, and we don’t receive any funding from the Oregon Department of Education. If anyone in your family works at a company that might be interested in sponsoring us, let us know!

Community Service & Outreach

Our team has a long tradition of service in our community to raise awareness of robotics programs and increase STEM access for kids. We’ve also found that volunteering together is a great way to bond with your teammates outside of the Foundry. To travel to competitions with the team, returning team members must accrue 20 hours of volunteer time with the team, and new members must accrue 10 hours. The team leaders will organize a variety of volunteer events and give team members lots of opportunities for volunteer hours.

Adult Volunteers

All of the adult mentor roles are volunteer, and there will be many opportunities for parents to pitch in, especially during competition season. You don’t have to have expertise or a lot of time to be involved. Volunteering as a parent not only helps the team, but also gives parents an unparalleled opportunity to quietly see their student learn and grow with the team. Volunteering with the team has been a highlight of the highschool years for many alumn robotics families. Parents: please ask a mentor for more information (email [email protected] or ask at the foundry), and begin the process by applying to become a volunteer at SEHS.

Parent Meeting

There will be a parent meeting in October where at least one parent or responsible adult will be required to attend ONE of the meetings. We run this meeting twice to accommodate different schedules.