Introduction

Aetos Dios is a small, self-funded community team that deeply values its core principles. FIRST’s principles of innovation, leadership, and collaboration have shaped our team and our mission. However, as we’ve grown and expanded our reach, we’ve embraced an additional interpretation of FIRST that reflects how we operate: Fostering Inclusivity, Resilience, Sustainability, and Teamwork. This expanded meaning aligns with the work we do in our community and the impact we aim to make. By blending the official FIRST mission with our team’s own values, we continuously strive to embody both the spirit of STEAM and the deep sense of community that makes us stronger. We aim to soar to new heights with every project we take on.

 

Fostering Inclusivity

In 2024, we launched FIRSTAbility, inspired by team members and families with disabilities, to promote accessibility and inclusivity. It ensures everyone can thrive in robotics, regardless of limitations. At this year's competition, we will offer earplugs and handmade fidget toys, and sensory bags for those with sensory needs along with an informational booklet about FIRSTAbility. Our website and newsletters have been updated to be disability-friendly, including commentary about media featuring characters or real people with disabilities. We’ve also contacted NEFIRST to see how we can help with the quiet rooms and signage at competitions.

 

Recently, we’ve partnered with the West Hartford Deaf Services to offer more opportunities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students to engage with STEAM fields. We collaborated with 30 to 40 students and their families. This event featured visual representations of our projects and one-on-one interactions with the students on STEAM projects. Our team had to adapt and learn to speak with patience as interpreters helped us communicate with the students. The event was a resounding success and we’ve already been invited to continue the initiative next year. We anticipate that multiple students will join FIRST teams in the future and we’ve eagerly spread our wings to help them build those connections.

 

This year at competitions to bring other teams into our FIRSTAbility initiative we will be donating student-made crocheted animals to underprivileged, disabled kids in Guatemala. A student on the team proposed this idea because they had a family connection to Bethel Ministries International, which runs camps for kids, organizes educational sponsorships and builds wheelchairs for kids who are wheelchair users.

 

This will be our first year partnering with teams involved in M.E.FIRST to provide equitable solutions to improve access to menstrual products. We’re very excited for the opportunity and will be training our full team on M.E.FIRST.

 

This multifaceted approach ensures that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can experience the excitement and inclusion that FIRST embodies.

 

Involvement

Aetos Dios is deeply involved in the FIRST network and our local community, with a commitment to teaching and fostering growth. We assisted teams like the Saint James VEX Robotics team, a feeder team to East Catholic High School, helping young students build their robotics foundations for future success and prepare for participation in the broader FIRST community.

With several Girl Scouts on our team, we organized Girl Scouts Night, where Daisies earned three robotics badges, and Brownies, Juniors, and Cadets earned two. This hands-on STEM experience builds confidence and encourages interest in the field. We also assisted Girl Scout FLL team 39720, the “Do-Si-Dozers,” assisting with their robot and volunteering at their competition. By supporting young girls in STEM, we empower the next generation of female leaders in robotics.

Our involvement extends to initiatives like the STEM + Soccer event at Trinity Health Stadium, where we engage with the community to promote STEM education through sports. We also host outreach events at Rockville and Manchester public libraries and additionally the Lutz Children’s Museum, introducing younger students to the exciting possibilities of robotics and engineering. Additionally, we volunteer at the Mastercam open house, supporting local events that align with our mission to spread STEM education.

In addition to our STEM efforts, we made baby blankets for Project Linus and hosted a toy drive for CCMC, showing our commitment to community service. We represent NEFIRST at events like our Cox Internet presentation, where we showcased our robot and engaged with local officials, including the Cheshire, CT mayor, to highlight the value of robotics programs. We also participate in local activities like “Scarecrows on Main,” creating a team scarecrow for town festivities, donate trees to the Rockville Public Library to support environmental initiatives, and participate in the 4-H fair. 

Through these actions, Aetos Dios fosters a culture of collaboration, outreach, and service, making a positive impact within the FIRST community and beyond.

Resiliency

Aetos Dios has built a culture of resiliency that is integral to our team’s success. When we encounter challenges, we lean into our collective strength, finding ways to adapt, learn, and grow. One example is how we handled the transition after our two team founding mentors of almost 8 years retired. Rather than allowing this to derail our progress, we turned to our student leaders and co-captains to fill the gap. Senior members continue to step up, becoming mentors for new students and guiding the team through the build season. While our team motto, "Wassup," started as a lighthearted way to engage students, it grew into a symbol of unity. It reminds us to stay high-flying and show up for every challenge, no matter the storm.

We prioritize organization and preparedness to ensure resilience, hosting a Mock Kickoff to simulate the build season with activities like design planning and project management. Our Robo-Academy trains new members in both technical and non-technical skills, helping them master tools and discover their interests. These initiatives strengthen Aetos Dios's future.

Our resilience shows in how we adapt to new resources. Through hard work, we secured a Tech Lab at East Catholic High School with 3D printers, a Glowforge, and Cricut machines, expanding our creativity and capabilities. In return, we’ve taught students, staff, and faculty to use these tools, fostering lasting interest in technology and robotics.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a core principle of Aetos Dios, guiding both our recruitment efforts and resource management. To grow our team, we post regularly on social media, hold open houses at East Catholic, reach out to the homeschool network, offer presentations, run fundraisers, and organize outreach events within the school and broader community.

 

We are committed to environmental sustainability by reducing waste, reusing materials, and maximizing resources. For example, we repurposed game pieces like yellow balls from SteamWorks for an off-season robot and sourced scrap materials for our robots, rolling racks, and pit areas. Our competition pit is designed for reuse, featuring a custom workbench made from a recycled rolling cart and plywood, with pit artwork using scrap pool noodles and water bottles to fit the Reefscape theme. This year we will hand out sensory bags, focusing on ocean clean-up, made from recycled clothing buttons and supplies from previous projects. Additionally, we will be utilizing scrap paper for our team buttons with a reusable ink stamp.

 

Through initiatives like our bottle and can drive and collecting tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities, we fly towards sustainability, reducing our carbon footprint one step at a time.

 

Team

At Aetos Dios, we value team building as much as technical skills, fostering camaraderie through shared experiences and meaningful traditions. Spirit days, where we wear Hawaiian shirts or crazy socks, and birthday celebrations create a welcoming environment. We’ve developed unique symbols of team spirit, like our business team mascot Bob-ert—a playful inside joke from a Battle Cry event—and our eagle mascot, which dances and cheers in team apparel. We bond over Saturday lunches, escape rooms, bowling outings, and friendly challenges like building the tallest pasta tower. This year we are playing “pocket mentors” which encourages students to interact with each other. 

 

At competitions, we extend our spirit of generosity and goodluck to other teams by giving out handmade keychains, bracelets, safety quizzes, and this year, crocheted animals. Also, in our pit artwork we are going to have a scavenger hunt for teams to scan a QR code to participate. We actively engage in community initiatives like Kassandra’s Kart, collaborating with teams such as Athena’s Warriors and Birds of Prey to collect and distribute crafts for charity. In addition, we’ve assisted other teams by 3D printing swerve covers, further exemplifying our commitment to collaboration. Our involvement in these activities deepens our connections within the robotics community and gives all of us an opportunity to actively engage with our community and its needs while working together. We are always ready to help others take flight.

 

Conclusion

Aetos Dios has created a team culture that excels in robotics and values community engagement, accessibility, and sustainability, all guided by our interpretation of the FIRST acronym: Fostering Inclusivity, Resilience, Sustainability, and Teamwork. This approach defines our operations, guiding us to mentor younger generations while fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We take pride in making robotics more accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable, and we’re committed to expanding our impact. As we spread our wings, Aetos Dios will continue to soar, innovating, collaborating, and inspiring—building a team and community that thrives both in and out of the robotics arena.