We did it! RoboScout Squad has earned advancement to the FTC World Championship in Houston, TX. We can’t wait to represent Montana, visit with old friends and make new ones with kids from around the world. There is so much to learn, see and do at FIRST Championship, but we need help to get there. Please read below for the many ways you can help us raise $24,000 to get to Texas.

4/4/25 Fundraising Update: To date we have raised $13,960, 60% of our goal. Thank you everyone for your support. We still have about $10,000 to raise.

What is FIRST Championship and Why is it Important

FIRST Championship is the LARGEST STEM event for kids in the world. Over 1000 teams and 50,000+ people will be there. In the FTC World Championship we’ll be competing against 255 US and International teams.

There are over 7000 FTC teams worldwide, so we say we have one challenge and more than 7000 ways to solve it. We learn so much from visiting with other teams and sharing our culture and robots with each other.

Alliances are randomized, in past championships we’ve been partnered with teams from Thailand, India, The Netherlands, Mexico, and Nigeria. They don’t necessarily speak English so it’s always a great communication exercise.

Visiting the Innovation Faire is lots of fun. Companies like NASA, RTX, Boeing, Disney Imagineering, US Armed Forces, CIA, Crunch Labs and more send staff and their newest tech to share with the kids. Many colleges and scholarship providers are represented as well.

Educational Seminars for everyone. Similar to a business conference there are seminars available throughout the event drilling into topics like automation, machine learning/AI, intrapersonal skills, programming, engineering concepts, CAD, how to encourage and maintain female and minority membership, marketing, fundraising and more.

FIRST Championship is more than just a tournament. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn, open doors to new ideas and make memories that will last a lifetime. The kids return passionate and excited about continuing their STEM journeys and eager to recruit more kids to experience “the hardest fun they’ll ever have”. If you can help get us to Texas, we’d really appreciate it. Keep reading to learn how you can support our team.

GoFundMe: Online and Easy

If you’d like to make a donation to support the team online, please visit our GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/roboscoutsquad2025

Mail a Check: It’s tax deductible!

If you prefer to mail a check to the team, for donations under $250 please make the check out to Troop 3709. If $250 or more, or for any amount if you wish to receive a receipt for taxes, please make the check out to GSMW and put “Troop 3709” in the memo line. Mail checks to: RoboScout Squad 113 Indian Trail Rd Kalispell, MT 59901 and email us at roboscoutsquad@gmail.com so we know to watch the mail for it.

Team Sponsorships

Would your business like to sponsor our team? We’d love to add your logo to our shirts, pit and robot. Team Sponsorships are tax deductible.

Sponsorship Levels

Teamwork Techs: $50 to $249 – social media thanks, logo on website, sponsor list at World Championship booth
Programming Partner: $250 to $499 – above + logo placement on shirts
Engineering Energizer: $500 to $999 – above + logo placement at FIRST World Robotics Championship in Houston displayed at our booth
Innovation Inspiration: $1000+ – above + logo on robot, sponsors’ names read off by announcer at World Championship

Please make checks out to GSMW and put “Troop 3709” in the memo line. Mail checks to: RoboScout Squad 113 Indian Trail Rd Kalispell, MT 59901, and email us at roboscoutsquad@gmail.com to let us know it’s on the way.

Family FUN Night

Join us for a fun evening of fundraising. At the NW Montana Fairgrounds, under the grandstands at 5:00pm on Friday, April 4th. We are seeking donation items for auction.