Whitewater High School is the only school in Walworth County and the Rock Valley Athletic Conference with a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. Ferradermis, FRC Team #6574, is seeking to build a sustainable and long-term funding solution and is reaching out to the community for assistance. The mission of Ferradermis is to prepare members for STEM and business careers, while challenging and inspiring them as students. Ferradermis also aims to build leadership skills, communication skills, and professionalism. The team has found a great deal of success in competition over the years, ranking statistically in the top 17% of 3,323 teams in the world for the 2023 season. However, the cost-intensive nature of robotics necessitates external funding beyond existing support.
Budgeting for Robotics
The team’s annual budget target is $64,000, which covers essential expenses and allows for participation in local and regional competitions. If the team qualifies for world championships as demonstrated in 2018 and 2019, the team needs to collect an additional $25,000 in as little as two weeks. While these numbers are high, the team has worked hard every year to collect donations and build long term relationships with sponsors.
The Whitewater Unified School District recently began contributing $14,000 yearly, a funding level similar to that of an athletic team. Unfortunately, other funding sources vary every year and are not guaranteed. Typically, students author and apply for competitive grants that account for about $12,000. An additional $24,000 is sourced from businesses, individuals, and organizations. Students, families, and mentors contribute another $10,000, while fundraising events raise an extra $4,000.
Where do the Funds Go?
Ferradermis’s annual expenses primarily center on competition-related costs, including travel, accommodations, registration fees, and materials for building a new robot each year. The team is committed to ensuring that no student is barred from participation due to financial constraints, offering scholarships to those in need. However, this has led to an increasing fundraising burden as more students and families require support each year.
In addition to the high school program, in 2018 Ferradermis member Bennett Miles initiated the first FIRST Lego League (FLL) team at Lincoln Elementary School. FLL has since expanded across all district elementary schools and the middle school, guided by Val Troxel, Chris Nate, Sara Brautigam, Lisa Kaminski, and Kerry Ramsden. Ferradermis remains involved by providing student mentors, raising funds for LEGO Spike Prime robots, and chartering buses for FLL members to observe the high school team’s Wisconsin Regional competition in Milwaukee.
The Ferradermis Fund
Recognizing the need for a more sustainable funding solution, Ferradermis has been collaborating with alumni Michael Borglin (WHS class of 2008) and Tim Walsh (WHS class of 2006). Both are computer science graduates and former students of Ferradermis Advisor Laura Masbruch at Whitewater High School. Now residing in California and working in technology, the two are using their unique skill sets to support Ferradermis. Borglin established the Borglin Family Foundation in 2021 and launched the Ferradermis Fund under the Whitewater Community Foundation soon after. The aim is to establish a $500,000 endowment (Ferradermis Fund), enabling the team to draw up to $25,000 annually from the fund’s interest indefinitely. Achieving this ambitious target requires involvement from the community and other alumni. The Borglin Family Foundation has pledged $70,000 over five years and has been matched by another anonymous alumni (WHS class of 2006). Borglin stated, “I always felt that learning by doing was the best way to learn, and that is why I support the Ferradermis team.”
Community Partnerships
In addition to hosting the Ferradermis Fund, the Whitewater Community Foundation has given Ferradermis access to manage its Google Ad Grant. This grant, available to nonprofits, provides $10,000 in ad credits each month that groups can use to draw attention to their programs. Walsh’s expertise in Google marketing guides the grant’s utilization. Additionally, a partnership with the Whitewater Advertising Association at UW-Whitewater is providing an advertising internship opportunity, contributing to the team’s growth and visibility while deepening community ties.
Why Ferradermis is Important to Whitewater and the Students
Ferradermis functions as a student operated small business. The overall team is divided into sub teams, half of which focus on business and outreach, while the other half focus on designing and building a robot. All students work under the guidance of a wide variety of volunteer adult mentors – programmers, metal workers, engineers, businesspeople, and more – building a network of professional contacts. These professional contacts support students in their future education and beyond to their careers.
Each year, The FRC game is revealed in January. At that point, the team must start from scratch to plan, design, build, wire, program, and test a brand-new robot in eight weeks before taking the competition field. This tight timeframe helps students develop time management skills.
FIRST focuses heavily on the concept of Gracious Professionalism, encouraging all teams to work together to make each other the best that they can be. Students develop many soft skills through FIRST as they interact, communicate, and build relationships with other teams from around the world as well as with their sponsors. Team members regularly practice public speaking for sponsors, judges, and community groups.
Outreach and the promotion of STEM education are valued heavily by FIRST. You will often find Ferradermis at other schools, the public library, and community events demonstrating the robot and giving younger students a chance at the controls. Ferradermis also values its relationship with the technology and engineering program at Whitewater High School, working with staff members to purchase new equipment and arrange the donation of used equipment, all in an effort to improve the shop for both WHS students in tech ed courses and the team.
Ferradermis is active and still growing. Thirty-two WHS graduates from the classes of 2021 and 2022 participated on the team for at least one season. Of these students, 68% are pursuing STEM fields with 38% studying engineering. Two from this group have already returned as mentors.
How to Donate
To support Ferradermis, donations can be made to the Ferradermis Fund through the Whitewater Community Foundation’s website or by contacting Bonnie Miller at info@whitewatercommunityfoundation.org. Those interested in learning more about Ferradermis or robotics within the Whitewater Unified School District can contact ferradermis@gmail.com, visit www.ferradermis.org, or call 262-472-8159.
Article Submitted by Michael Borglin and Laura Masbruch
Photos Courtesy of Laura Masbruch and Rich Grosse
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
