Building More Than Robots

Team 7068 Mechanical Masterminds is a FIRST® robotics team based in the ISD 15 school district founded in 2018.  The team is dedicated to fostering STEM skills by designing, building, and competing with a robot in the FIRST® Robotics Competition while developing technical skills, leadership abilities, and community engagement. Our team drives STEM initiatives in the community, partnering closely with the school district to deliver engaging educational events and impactful outreach programs.

Mechanical Masterminds won the Rookie All Star award in 2018, in 2020 they won The Excellence in Engineering award sponsored by Delphi, they were a Central Minnesota Robotics Conference Finalist in 2024, and in 2026 won the Creativity Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation.

 

Our team emphasizes:

• Engineering excellence 

• Team collaboration 

• Community involvement and outreach

• Personal growth

 

We strive to uphold the mission of FIRST® by preparing students for future careers and challenges through hands-on learning where science and technology are celebrated.

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“Robotics is the hardest fun you will ever have!”

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Dubbed a varsity Sport for the Mind,™ FIRST® Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Teams are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Professional Mentors volunteer their time and talents to guide each team.

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Students work alongside mentors to design and build and compete with a robot. They learn and use sophisticated hardware and software. It’s more than just building a robot. As students develop their design, manage the project, program they learn teamwork, strategic thinking, and Coopertition® skills. Each year, SFHS hopes to earn a place in the FIRST® Championship and students hope to qualify for scholarships at nearly 200 colleges/​universities.

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Why is this important?

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Careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are among the highest sought-after jobs for students, and this program provides an opportunity to learn some foundational skills to make our students competitive. Students will get hands-on learning in STEM and they will gain important experience in problem solving, time management, conflict resolution, and communication skills as well.

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What’s next?

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FIRST Robotics operates under the guidelines of Coopertition® which is the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete. St. Francis is fortunate to have help from neighboring teams who have set up similar programs in their schools or organizations.

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There is something for every student in FIRST Robotics. While the focus is on engineering and building a robot, many talents are needed on the team. Other areas include marketing, finance, fundraising, communications, graphics, management, and more. Parents and community volunteers are needed to mentor in all these areas.

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