Newsletter: Triple Helix Robotics – July 2019 update

In the news: the Peninsula STEM Gym
During the school year, hundreds of students practice their passions in after-school clubs such as art, sports and STEM programs. But where do some of these teams like robotics, meet to practice for the upcoming season? The Peninsula STEM Gym, of course.”  Our community robotics practice facility in Newport News was the subject of a Williamsburg Yorktown Daily article published yesterday.

Founded and operated by Triple Helix’s operating sponsor Intentional Innovation Foundation (IIF), the Peninsula STEM Gym is a place for student robotics teams to develop competition robots and have real-world engineering experiences that will inspire a lifelong interest in science and math.  Our gym features a 75%-sized mockup FRC field as well as an official FIRST Tech Challenge playing field sponsored by Newport News Shipbuilding.  These resources are available for our neighbors to share.

The Peninsula STEM Gym was initially established with the generous assistance of a Community Knights GIFT Grant.  Ongoing operation of the STEM Gym is supported by IIF and Triple Helix sponsors.  More information about our STEM Gym can be found here.

Now live: our 2019 Chairman’s Award video
Triple Helix students and mentors developed this video during the spring 2019 season to meet the submission requirements for the FIRST Chairman’s Award and to discuss the personal impact that team participation has had in their lives.

Only 10 team registration slots remaining for the 2019 Rumble in the Roads
The 6th annual Rumble in the Roads, Hampton Roads’ unofficial offseason FRC tournament, is scheduled for Saturday, November 3, 2019 at Heritage High School in Newport News.  Team registrations for the event has proceeded quickly and the competition is now just 10 teams away from being full.  Triple Helix is proud to help organize this event along with partners Blackwater Robotics team 1610 and CAT5 Cybercanes team 5957.  The volunteer registration for the event will open later this summer; stay tuned for more information!

Summer work is well underway
Triple Helix meets year-round, and this summer we have been diving deep into team development projects, training activities, outreach event planning, collaborations with other teams, and more.  Now is a great time to drop by and check out what we’re all about!


Nate Laverdure
Head coach, Triple Helix Robotics
President, Intentional Innovation Foundation