Offseason On Track!
As our 2025 FRC Kickoff today, here is a recap of events and opportunities BX took advantage of in the offseason! Stay tuned for upcoming Newsletters and updates as we begin the 2025 season!
May
2024 Season Recap
Bedford Express, after finishing fifth in qualification rounds and making it to finals in the Galileo division at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, BX took May to reflect and discuss the challenges and accomplishments of our 2024 season. We officially finished the season with our banquet, where we honored our leaving seniors and gave out awards, highlighting standout members of our team.
Open House
Right after finishing the 2024 season, BX looked to the new year ahead of us as we invited students interested in the FIRST program to ensure a sustainable team size. At this event, we show off all aspects of FRC, from programming, building, strategy, impact, and electronics. We also have representatives from each category to help explain the process inside the program. Bedford Express keeps our doors open during the event, so anyone can come in and learn the many benefits FIRST brings.
June
Leadership Interviews
We conducted interviews to find out who will be the leaders of each subgroup for our upcoming season. We found 10 students to guide our groups and ensure our team's success!
Outreach Planning
Our impact team began discussing current and future events that would benefit our program along with our goals for the season.
July
Indiana Robotics Invitational
Bedford Express was invited to the prestigious offseason event, IRI, for the 9th year in a row! We had a fun but challenging day, full of corn, tough matches, and celebrating our leaving seniors for the last time!
August
Monroe County Fair Parking
For the 3rd year in a row, BX held our annual fundraiser, parking cars at the Monroe County Fair. While the days were long and hot, we are grateful for the opportunity to help our community stay safe and earn the funds necessary to build our robot!
Michigan Advanced Robotics Competition (MARC)
MARC was another great off-season competition that allowed aspiring drivers and manipulators to practice with our robot!
Bronco Roundup and Highschool Registration
Bedford Express has been attending our high school and middle school registration for the last 2 years. Where we are gaining interest in our K-12 program. We bring our robot to give students an idea of what FIRST really is. It is a great event to not only gain potential members but begin the school year!
September
Goonettes All Girls Competition
Bedford was honored to be invited to the annual Goonettes competition at Woodhaven High School! Our girls put on their strongest performance which resulted in them being drafted by the Bionic Blackhawks who were the captains of the 5th alliance. We not only had a blast watching our lady mules compete but also raising awareness towards women in STEM!
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Kickoff
Without supporting the younger levels of our program, we would not be preparing ourselves for the future. Bedford Express hosted our middle school program’s kickoff this year, where various Bedford teams learned the game of their season!
October
Michigan Student Association of STEM Advocacy Conference
To better understand how to advocate for STEM in our community, a few of our BX students made the trip to our state capitol to attend the SASA Conference! We learned how to utilize our skills and experiences to become proper advocates for STEAM throughout the Michigan Legislature!
FIRST Like a Girl (FLAG) Ambassador
A very exciting opportunity for our team happened in October when Bedford Express officially became FIRST Like a Girl Ambassador! We are honored for the chance to advocate for young women in STEM and have already amassed over 1,000 followers on our team’s FIRST Like a Girl account on Instagram!
Trunk-or-Treat
We were so excited to attend our high school’s trunk-or-treat, handing out candy and decorating our trailer with spooky decorations!
November
Bedford FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Qualifier
In mid-November, we hosted our annual FTC Event for FIRST Michigan. Bedford Express arrived at our school the day before to set up the field and plan out roles for the following day. The day of the event was busy but rewarding, as we hosted over 30 teams in a successful competition, with some of our own Bedford FTC teams winning the event!
Met with Senator Bellino
After the SASA Conference, our BX students had the honor to meet with State Senator, Joseph Bellino to discuss Michigan funding bills such as 99H and how to potentially advocate for Ohio schools to have the same funding. We are so grateful for the opportunity to meet with him and look forward to potential conferences.
December
FIRST Lego League (FLL) Qualifier
With the help of BX mentors, Bedford hosted our FLL Explore Event! Students successfully guided elementary school teams to have a fun and competitive qualifier!
Team Lock-In
Ringing in the New Year, Bedford Express students attended our annual lock-in to not only bond as a team but also start gearing towards the official start of the 2025 season! We had a blast making buttons, playing white elephant, and watching movies!
FTC States with FIRST Like a Girl
Bedford Express Girls went to support our All Girls FTC team at the Michigan state championship. We also sent up a table to share information about the #FIRSTLikeAGirl where younger girls in STEAM can gain an understanding of the program.
