Operation P.E.A.C.C.E. is an FRC robotics team that strives to unite students from all over Connecticut. We work together in designing, programming, and building robots every year. We have a passion to spread creativity and the idea of STEM-based learning everywhere we can.
Members of our team learn hands-on machining in an actual factory, as well as important leadership skills, and how to develop and refine ideas as a team.
Operation P.E.A.C.C.E. Robotics started in 2010 with four teenagers who were interested in FIRST Robotics and wanted to start a team. All coming from different high schools, they decided to approach Litchfield County 4-H to become a 4-H affiliated team, independent of any school.
Our first year, we went to the Litchfield County 4-H Fair with a robot we borrowed from the Litchbots. As we did more with 4-H and other public events, our team grew from just a few members who were just trying out FIRST, to a solid team where the student members are the leaders.
We started meeting in an old storefront, made our way to Thomaston High School, then later moved to a local business owner’s workshop before reaching our current home at the Arthur G Russell Company through the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. With the help and support of AGR and their exceptional employees, along with our sponsors, we have won multiple competitions and awards over the years. In 2018, we qualified for the Worlds Competition in Detroit, MI for the first time.
As the years have gone by, our team has evolved. We went from being a very small team of four students and a couple mentors, to being a huge team, to finally settling at about 15 active members.
Each year, we learn several valuable lessons through our mistakes (and our successes). After our competition season, we always make sure to have a meeting to discuss what went well and what didn’t.