Intentional Innovation Foundation (IIF) transforms students and our community into evangelists for science and technology by providing them life-changing opportunities to experience science and math as a thrilling, challenging competition and by operating and sponsoring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education activities on the Virginia Peninsula. Our specific missions:
1. We mentor and support the ongoing operations of Triple Helix, the Menchville High School Robotics Team in Newport News, VA.
2. We are the presenting sponsor of the Rumble in the Roads, an annual community robotics tournament.
3. We are contributing sponsors for several local youth robotics teams.

IIF recognizes that developing the future engineering workforce requires a culture shift that makes engineering "cool" again. In meeting that goal, Triple Helix Robotics competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) against an international field of 75k+ students on 3,500+ teams. The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. Triple Helix Robotics students work with mentors and sponsoring companies to design, construct, program, and test a robot during an intense season. The competition closely simulates a professional engineering experience that includes technical analysis, acquisition and application of engineering knowledge, fabrication, systems engineering and integration, time management, resource allotment, teamwork, and many other life skills that combine to help focus students on technology as a possible career choice.

Robot building materials for Triple Helix

Intentional Innovation Foundation is a contributing sponsor to the Hines Middle School FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, as well as the FLL teams at Lee Hall Elementary and Riverside Elementary; IIF provides funds to enable the purchase of equipment and registration for competition. At the conclusion of the most recent season, Lee Hall coach Matt Wilbur stated “Thanks for the FLL team support this year. We ended up 2nd overall in Division I at the Norview tournament. The kids also did well with their project presentation, and…they got very high marks for that and were in the running for an award. Overall, I think that it was a very successful season for the team.”

In August 2017 Triple Helix donated robotics equipment to a newly-forming robotics club and makerspace at Woodside High School. Lead teacher Deborah McDonough stated “I wanted to express our sincerest thanks for allowing us to visit your club and for the wonderful donation of robotics equipment… I think it would be wonderful for our students to meet others who have been so successful in the competition arena… I am so tickled to see that the competition robotics community is such a welcoming one! Our students are very anxious to get started and everything you have done to help us get off the ground is so appreciated!”

Triple Helix maintains a strong relationship with local FRC team 122, the NASA Knights, our sister NASA Langley Research Center “house team.” After the NASA Knights (POC Jennifer Clarke, jennifer.clarke@nhrec.org) chose not to compete in the 2017 season, several 122 mentors for spent one season as members of Triple Helix and shadowing the Triple Helix mentors. This fall as 122 prepares to register for the 2018 season, Triple Helix is providing this team our 2017 practice robot as well as technical support and continuous communication between our two teams via the Triple Helix Slack workspace. Triple Helix has sponsored 122’s participation in the Rumble in the Roads, our fall offseason tournament cohosted with local FRC teams 1610 and 5957; 122 will have participated in this event continuously for 3 years despite their 1 year withdrawal from the FRC regular season.

Triple Helix maintains a strong relationship with these Peninsula organizations as we continue to spread a passion for STEM learning throughout our community:
-- Junior Woman’s Club of Hilton Village (students and parents support the club’s annual dinner theater event by serving as waiting staff)
-- Cooperating Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering (CHROME) club at FIRST Baptist Church Denbigh (the team conducts an annual demo for the K-8th grade students)
-- Peninsula Jaycees (the team conducts an annual demo for the 6-8th grade girls)
-- AFCEA Tidewater (the team participates in the annual social and networking event at Langley AFB)
-- Virginia Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament (the team provides setup and teardown volunteers)
-- Salvation Army (our students ring bells in Newport News each December)

Requested grant funds will be used to purchase raw materials including plastics and aluminum from SWaM-certified vendors in Newport News. These construction materials will enable Triple Helix to continue to enter award-winning robots into the FIRST Robotics Competition as well as to continue development of internal technology projects: a CNC laser cutter and a CNC lathe. Triple Helix has found the FIRST Robotics Competition to be an effective means of engaging our students in STEM and graduating students who are well prepared to be strong contributors to the emerging Hampton Roads knowledge economy. With a grant to fund the materials required to execute our competitive robotics program, these funds will offset a significant portion of the team’s operating costs and will extend our ability to make lasting positive contributions to the greater youth STEM community on the Virginia Peninsula through our collaborative outreach and engagement efforts.

Triple Helix is an award-winning competitor in the FIRST Robotics Competition, an effective mentor-based program and a cultural movement in which young people discover and develop a passion for STEM. Triple Helix continues to benefit the Virginia Peninsula by graduating excellent members of a diverse new community of scientists, engineers, and technologists. Triple Helix has been recognized for our leadership in successfully encouraging young women to pursue higher levels of education and STEM careers by increasing the participation of female students, encouraging their role in leadership positions, and providing opportunities to become engaged in the engineering design process. Menchville HS principal Bobby Surry often cites Triple Helix as the school’s most powerful “magnet” for attracting high performing students from around the school district and providing avenues for them to succeed. 92% of Triple Helix students pursue college educations, with 80% pursuing STEM-related careers. Graduating seniors have reported that their Triple Helix Robotics experiences award them “a glimpse into the type of job I want to have professionally, a more complete understanding of project management, friendships that I will never forget, and leadership skills to take into college and the workplace.” Students leave the team with “valuable relationships with mentors who work in industry” and “the confidence to pursue an engineering degree!”

Triple Helix team operations are primarily managed by a volunteer head coach with assistance from student leaders and adult mentors. Triple Helix student leadership roles, as well as the eligibility requirements to hold these positions, are described in our team handbook. Our three elected roles have the greatest responsibilities and are filled by students who are examples of leadership and commitment-- these students are consistently engaged in team activities and have made significant contributions to the team's outreach and recruitment efforts.