At Fire on the Mountain Robotics (FOTMR), we believe that robotics is much more than just building robots, its about building new skills, opportunities, creativity, and future expertise. Through our many outreach efforts, we work to share our passion of STEM with students and families in and our of our community by participating in many different events like Wake Forest STEM Day, the Rolesville Christmas Parade, school open houses or tailgates, and trunk or treats. 

GEAR UP NC is a new initiative founded by Cohen Kuntz (FOTM Robotics Co-Lead) to help unify FTC teams across North Carolina and give teams an opportunity to work together toward a common goal. Through GEAR UP NC, participating FTC teams come together to fundraise for Apex Maker Club, a nonprofit working to bring hands-on STEM education and opportunities to elementary school students. We do this through a collection of hoodies that all stem from the same overall design, while allowing each participating team to add their own unique twist, colors, and team identity. This gives teams a way to represent their own programs while also being part of something bigger than their individual team.

The goal of GEAR UP NC is not just to sell merchandise, but to build a stronger robotics community throughout the state. By bringing different teams together, we hope to encourage collaboration, share resources and ideas, and show younger students that STEM and robotics are accessible and exciting. A portion of the proceeds from each hoodie goes toward supporting Apex Maker Club and its efforts to expand STEM education into elementary schools. In the long term, we hope GEAR UP NC can grow beyond a single hoodie collection into a statewide community initiative that connects FTC teams and helps create more STEM opportunities for students across North Carolina.