Where the magic begins for the FIRST Robotics team, a standard classroom where the media/strategy/business teams work. (Photo courtesy FIRST Robotics/Digital Dislocators)

This large shop space, roughly 40’ x 60’, which houses shop equipment and the practice field, will be hardest for the Robotics team to replace as they seek a new home for their program. (Photo courtesy of FIRST Robotics/Digital Dislocators)

by Marsha Chartrand

While most teams experience feelings of excitement and joy as a new season begins, Manchester FIRST Robotics has a new challenge to overcome.

“Roughly 24 hours after this year’s game was released to teams across the world, we received news that unfortunately resulted in the team’s decision to leave our current shop space in the Ackerson building,” said coach Andy Galicki. “To be very clear, we are not being kicked out, but the proposed future arrangements are simply not going to provide adequate space for what our program needs to function.”

Over the past year and a half, having access to this space has allowed the Manchester Robotics programs to thrive. The middle school team was able to find continued success, winning a second league championship and returning to the state championship for the sixth consecutive year. Being in their own home has provided the high school team with even further opportunities to succeed, including:

• Winning two district events
• Ranking 7th out of 636 teams going into the Michigan state championship
• Qualifying for the world championship for the first time ever and competing for the world title as one of 64 alliance captains
• Receiving an invitation to compete at the Indiana Robotics Invitational with some of the most elite teams on the planet
• Winning the West Michigan Robotics Invitational

So certainly, the decision to leave did not come lightly to the team or the coaches. But there was no choice. In addition to strategizing, building, and carrying on with their ongoing regular season, they will need to vacate their space no later than February 29, which is the same weekend as their first district competition. This means that on top of their normal 12 hours of weekly build time in the coming six weeks, they are going to need extra hours to find a new space and dedicate additional hours to the moving process.

Superintendent Dr. Brad Bezeau explained that the school district did designate a Robotics Team room at Riverside at the beginning of the 2023–2024 school year for the team to use, if needed.

“They declined the offer for the space, as they thought that they could continue to use their current space at Ackerson for the year,” he said. “Since then, we have created an additional classroom in that space and that classroom was no longer available to offer to them during the current transition. With that being said, I did meet with the team coaches immediately after their need to move from the Ackerson building and told them that I will continue to work with them in exploring the spaces that are currently empty.

“Some of the suggestions we made didn’t seem to fit their needs, but we will continue to work creatively with the team. The Robotics program within our community is a hallmark and important programming as we continue to build the important STEAM concepts and opportunities within our district, including the designation of space and programming in our future bond projects with the building of club and community space.”

Galicki remains optimistic, as well.

“As we begin the second week of our build season, we are well on our way to a complete robot design,” he said. “And to be entirely honest, while this situation was definitely unexpected, it hasn’t changed much for us. We have decided to view it as simply another challenge that we must find the solution to overcome. Thankfully, we have developed wonderful friendships with many of our neighboring teams, and they have all been in contact letting us know that we are welcome in their spaces as need be.”

The team and the school district are working together as collaboratively as possible to find just the right space that can get them through the remainder of the 2024 season. With their unique space requirements, it’s understandable that it will be a challenge to find a place that will accommodate all of the team’s needs.

“We plan on working with the district to take advantage of the STEM wing and auxiliary gym proposals found in the bond that recently passed,” Galicki said. “Unfortunately, that is a long-term plan at best, and we will need to find another solution well before that project is able to come to fruition.

“We are continuing to spend our meetings working to create the best robot possible but are also reaching out to anyone and everyone who might be able to help us find our next home. We are determined to make things work, no matter what.”

Determination and dedication: two words that definitely describe the Digital Dislocators. Now, more than ever, they need their community to stand behind them and share their dream to do even better this year than in the past.

Do you have an idea for a space that might accommodate the Robotics Team? Could you become a team sponsor, who could help with renting or providing space on a longer-term basis until the school district bond project is completed and they can once again accommodate the team? If you can help, contact Galicki at agalicki@mcs.k12.mi.us

Collaboration with semifinals alliance partners in the robotics pit area. (Courtesy Daniella Kippnick)