Join The Team

Welcome to Deep Run High School’s FIRST Robotics Team 1086 Blue Cheese! Blue Cheese is an organization based out of Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, VA. Our team participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) as Team 1086.

Blue Cheese Robotics Recruitment Video

Become a Mentor!
Become a Volunteer!
Blue Cheese Mentor and Student

  • FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international organization focused on inspiring students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Teams attend competitions where alliances of robots compete against one another in an exciting, sports-like atmosphere. Blue Cheese actively promotes the goals of FIRST by inspiring students to pursue careers in science and technology.

  • The name “Blue Cheese” comes from our method of removing weight from our robots: drilling round holes into the aluminum frame called “cheesing the robot” due to their similarity to Swiss cheese and blue is one of Deep Run High School’s colors.

  • Beginning in early January each year, we receive a new game challenge & design & build a new robot.

    We attend competitions where we drive, repair, troubleshoot, scout, cheer, help other teams, etc.

    We wear uniforms & spirit wear to show that we are part of the team & build our brand.

    We run demos, teach classes, mentor other teams, volunteer in the community to inspire STEM learning and advocate for STEM on the local, state, and federal levels.

  • We teach & learn from each other, always seeking to improve our own skills & further team goals.

    We share food & carpools & other resources during build season to make the load lighter.

    We enjoy each other’s company, laugh & learn from our own mistakes & treat each other respectfully.

  • Although we are part of Deep Run High School, our build site is at Powertrain Control Solutions (PCS) a 30-minute drive to Ashland, VA.

    Powertrain Control Solutions

    10511 Old Ridge Rd, Ashland, VA 23005

  • Our meetings are currently Tuesdays and Thursdays:

    4:00 pm to 5:30 at DRHS H-Hall for CAD, Media, Outreach, and Programming Teams.

    6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at PCS for the Build Team (We drive up from School at 5:30 pm and back to Twin Hickory Library at 8:30 pm)

    During Build Season (January thru March) we add Fridays and Saturdays. Parents help feed the kids dinner on Fridays and lunch on Saturdays.

    Team members do not have to attend all the meetings. However, when space is limited for travel, preference goes to those whose parents drive and those who attend more often.

  • Competition Polo Shirt

    Khaki Pants

    Brown Belt

    Closed-toed Shoes

    Safety Glasses

    Cheesehead

  • Each participating student’s family is expected to donate $150 or more to our booster club.

    Need-based subsidies are available on a case-by-case basis.

    We ask that all parents apply for any matching gift or Dollars for Doers programs that they may be eligible for through their employers.

    Please pass along sponsorship leads. Donations of $100 or more have benefits!

    Our budget is roughly $50,000 per year and NONE of that money comes from the school. We are always in need of help to keep the program running and financially accessible to all.

    Fundraising with Cabot Cheese, Pearl Valley Cheese, and Midas of Richmond.

    Primarily time: Students get out of it, what they put in.

    Travel Costs: We strive to keep travel prices low.

    Our goal is to make participation affordable for all.

    Parents are expected to assist with carpooling when they can. This includes in-state travel to competitions.

  • Many of our students participate in team activities year-round and eat, sleep and breathe robotics during the winter build and spring competition seasons: They just can’t get enough of it. Others come and go seasonally - depending on their participation in other activities, like marching band or a school play. That’s fine too. The students who work the hardest get the most out of it: friends, skills, professional certifications, leadership experience, and scholarships. The others have a great time too and love the experiences and opportunities offered by our extensive program. Our team is made up of a diverse group of dedicated, hard-working kids and mentors who help them grow and learn through lots of hands-on activities and high-level “coopertition.” FIRST extols the value of “gracious professionalism” and Blue Cheese is dedicated to that concept as well.

    Whether your student is interested in designing, fabricating, building, coding, art, photography, marketing, writing, video production, public speaking, education, community outreach, or almost anything else, there is a place for them on our team and we look forward to getting to know them and helping them become part of our “culture.”

    Our crowning “acheesement” to date was winning the 2016 World Championships. We work hard year-round to learn and practice a full range of skills and to instruct and inspire younger students to study and enjoy STEM. We hope that you can assist us in pursuing these goals through student membership, financial sponsorship, in-kind donation, or volunteer mentorship.

  • Join us as a mentor!

    Volunteer to carpool from DRHS to our build site and back to Twin Hickory Library.

    Volunteer to carpool to events.

    Help out at our build site, by sharing knowledge, or just watching the students.

    Prepare a meal during build season.

    Volunteer at one of the many competitions we host: CHSy Champs, FLL, FTC, and FRC tournaments.

    Ask: Do you know anyone interested in Sponsoring us, maybe even your employer? Robotics is Expensive! (Sponsorship Packets Available)

    Ask: Does your employer have a volunteer matching donation policy or a “dollars for doers” program?

    Fundraise: Help your student sell cheese during our Cabot and Pearl Valley Cheese Fundraiser in the Fall.

Group of four young people posing at a celebration, wearing blue shirts with a robotics team logo, decorated with Easter-themed headbands, in front of a gray background with blue and yellow star decorations and large gold balloons spelling '2018'.
Two students wearing humorous disguises and accessories at a school event. The girl on the left has on a colorful, fantasy-themed hat, large glasses, and holds a mask, while the boy on the right has a fake nose, bushy eyebrows, mustache, glasses, a y
Three women sitting together in blue jackets with logos, smiling at the camera indoors with trophies and plaques behind them.
Team of young people in blue shirts looking down at the camera, smiling and laughing, inside an industrial or warehouse-like building.
Person wearing a blue hoodie and glasses, with a mask and a large blue plastic yarn decoration on their face, standing outdoors on a sunny day.
Two young women in blue shirts embrace in a group setting with others nearby, some wearing safety glasses and backpacks, in front of a wall with decorative art and large text.
Person dressed in a shiny silver costume with a cheese wedge hat, playing a ukulele at an outdoor event.
A young woman with blonde hair, wearing a blue shirt, is hugging someone while wearing safety glasses and a yellow flower in her hair, in a workshop or factory setting.