East Orange Robotics Team Receives Studio042 Donation

East Orange Stem Academy’s FRC FIRST Robotics Team 5310 Eagles Apex was established in Dec 2013.   The team grew out of the school’s VEX Robotics Team and has participated successfully in FRC for three years. Now, entering their fourth year, they feel stronger than ever. Studio042 wanted to support their support by donating a team flag to use proudly as they utilize all their knowledge and skills in competitions.

In the 2014 season, as a rookie team, they received several awards, such as  the Rookie Inspiration Award,  Rookie All-Star Awards at Bridgewater-Raritan district event and the Rookie All Star award at the MAR District Championship at Lehigh University. The District Championship Award enabled the Rookie Team to attend and compete at the FRC Nationals in ST Louis, MO in 2014.  They then met with and competed against teams from all over the world.  Since 2014, they have received the Judges Award in 2015, the Team Spirit Award at the Bridgewater Raritan Competition in 2016 and were finalists at the off-season competition , Duel on the Delaware in Oct  2016.

Robotics Team 5310 Eagles Apex also promotes all the aspects of FIRST and STEM by actively participating in the district STEM Fair in the Engineering Showcase. This year, the team established an FLL Middle School Robotics Team 27901 Eagles and Dragons. Some of the high school members were the mentors to the younger teams.

“I became involved with FIRST when I met the members from the Newton Robotics Team Aperture at the State Fair in Augusta, NJ in August of 2012.  The team was so enthusiastic about FIRST Robotics and the connection to STEM that I knew the East Orange Stem Academy had to have a robotics team as well. The creativity, engineering and programming that the students involved learn in the short span of a six week build season in phenomenal,” said said Barbara Froehlich, Advisor and Mentor to Team 5310 Eagles Apex.

With Froehlich’s love for science, she received her first degree is BS in Biology from William Paterson University and second degree in Computer Science from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Finally, she received her Master’s in Education Technology and has continued to infuse her passion and knowledge onto the eager and bright students of East Orange.