During our FIRST LEGO League robotics season, our team faced many challenges. We learned how to code, improve our robot, and work better as a team. However, near the end of the season, we faced a new challenge: raising enough money to attend a competition.
Our team, The Awesome Ninjas, earned a nomination to attend the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Annual FLL Event, also known as WAFFLE. We felt excited and proud because this was a huge opportunity for our team. However, attending the event required a $2,000 fee, which meant we needed to begin fundraising quickly.
Raising Money for WAFFLE
To start fundraising, we created posters that explained our team’s goals and why attending WAFFLE mattered to us. After putting up the posters, we visited nearby neighborhoods and asked people for support in person.
At first, knocking on doors felt awkward and uncomfortable. However, as we spoke with more people, we became more confident. We explained what our team does, what we learned during the season, and why the competition was important to us. Some people even asked questions about our robot and the missions we completed, which made the conversations feel more natural and engaging.
What We Learned From Fundraising
Whenever someone donated, it felt rewarding because it showed that people believed in our team and wanted to support our hard work. Every donation, whether large or small, helped us move closer to our goal.
In the end, fundraising helped us earn enough money to attend the competition, but it also taught us important life skills. We improved our communication, became more confident when speaking with others, and learned how valuable community support can be.
This experience showed us that robotics is not only about building and coding. It is also about teamwork, responsibility, and connecting with the people around us.