Thank You to Our Supporters
Every season is made possible by the community. As our sponsor family grows, this is where we proudly recognize the businesses and individuals who invest in local students.
Our STEAM Vision
STEM + Art = STEAM
Why a championship robotics team teaches kids to make art
Team Excaliper FTC #16249 builds robots that win. But winning robots also need to be well-designed, well-branded, and well-presented. That's where Art comes in.
STEAM is STEM with the A that makes it work in the real world:
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Industrial Design
Our robot isn't just functional — it's designed. CAD, tolerance, color, form. That's art + engineering.
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Kinetic Art
A robot that moves is a sculpture that moves. At our potential community labs, students will build ArtBots — small robots that paint, draw, and create.
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Storytelling
Engineering notebooks, team branding, sponsor decks, pit presentations at Florida Championship — judges score how we communicate. That's visual arts + communication.
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Access
Some students won't join a "robotics club" but will join an "ArtBots lab." STEAM brings new students to STEM who never saw themselves as engineers.
Our Goals for 2026–2027 — The Gracious Youth STEAM Initiative
Free Monthly Community STEAM Labs
8–10 FTC #16249 students mentor 100+ Volusia youth in grades 4–8. Build a painting robot, code it, take home the art. Hosted at community centers and arts organizations across Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, and Volusia County. Gracious Youth 501(c)(3) provides all kits — no cost to families.
From Porch to Permanent
Move from a mentor's porch to a permanent or rolling Volusia County youth STEAM workspace where students can safely build, create, and host elementary FLL teams. Our Founder Circle (limited to 10) funds that transition.
Art x Technology Partnerships
Partner with Volusia's arts ecosystem for gallery nights, festivals, and events — where our competition robot is exhibited as kinetic sculpture and student ArtBot work is displayed. Past models like Art on the Avenue have shown robotics + arts festivals reach 40,000+ community members.
Pathways
Every student learns CAD, manufacturing safety, tool use, and design thinking — skills that lead to certifications, scholarships, and careers in manufacturing, engineering, and creative technology. Gracious Youth has paid 2025–2026 FIRST registration so cost is never a barrier.
We're not just building a robot. We're building Volusia County's next generation of engineers who can design, build, and present their work — and a space where any student can do it.
Interested in hosting an ArtBots STEAM lab? We're looking to partner with community centers, art galleries, libraries, and festivals across Volusia County. Contact us
Sponsorship Tiers
Tax-deductible via Gracious Youth 501(c)(3). Funds workspace, tools, and free community STEAM labs.
Community Friend
Any Amount
- Every gift helps students build
- In-kind donations welcome
Supporter
$500/year
- Name on website
- Thank you at events
- Funds STEAM kits
Builder Partner
$1,000/year
- Logo on banner + website
- 4 social spotlights
- Funds 1 community lab
Championship Partner
$2,500/year — Most Impact
- Logo on robot
- Featured on website
- 12 social spotlights
- Team demo at your business
Founder Circle
$5K / $10K / $25K — Limited to 10
- Permanent Founder Wall in future Port Orange STEAM center
- All Championship benefits for 2 years
- Funds our move from porch to permanent space
- Limited to 10 founding partners
We currently build from a mentor's porch while securing permanent space. Founder investments fund that space and free monthly ArtBots labs across Volusia.
Ready to Sponsor Excaliper?
Reach out and we'll share a sponsorship packet and answer any questions.