We’re celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Month by highlighting some of the amazing individuals who make our many programs possible! Over 20 volunteers help out at AMRoC each month, providing customer service support and mentoring in our various programs. Look for their stories throughout the month on our social media. And if you’d like to join them in doing
the great work we do here at AMRoC – as a mentor in our Equity in Entrepreneurship program, with our youth robotics teams, help in the machine shop or provide other support services, please visit our AMRoC Fab Lab Volunteer page to learn more and sign up!
This month’s update looks back at a busy and exciting March, where some of our volunteers put in an extraordinary number of hours helping our youth robotics teams prepare for their competitions, while also looking ahead at plans for the spring and summer (pssst… We’re moving!). Read on and jump in anywhere!
We’re moving!
Not far – just across the hall from our current location. But we’ll have some variable hours both this month and in May, as we relocate lock, stock, and Fab Lab to our new space over the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for some moving sale opportunities, and watch our social media for photos and stories as we build AMRoC 2.0 into our new 8000 sq. ft. space at RITHM at Uptown!
April First Friday at the Fab Lab
Tony Selvaggio, of eSmart Recycling, and also a Board member of the Foundation for Community Driven Innovation, which founded and runs AMRoC Fab Lab, was our First Friday guest this month, joining us to discuss the value of volunteering, mentoring, and social enterprise.
April Programs Schedule
April 8 & 22 – Open Make by Reservation 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm – If you’re interested in working on a project or refining build and design skills RSVP in advance on AMRoC Open Make Reservation Form so we can have the right folks here to help out.
April 23 – Uptown Tampa Meetup – 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Join us every 4th Saturday at 6 pm to talk about all things Uptown! Hear the latest on redevelopment plans, meet residents and small businesses, and help us build a resilient, informed, and connected Uptown Community! Learn more and RSVP here.
April 27 – Teacher’s STEM Education Play Date! 4 pm to 7pm There’s no charge for this guided and open play for educators, who can explore hands-on STEM experiences like building with LEGOs, 3D printing, programming, robotics, drones, CAD, electronics projects & more! Educator’s ID is required for participation. RSVP here.
AMRoC at B-Sides Tampa 2022 – April 23
Look for AMRoC Fab Lab at B-Sides Tampa 2022, on April 23 from 10 am to 3 pm. We’ll have some of our FIRST teams with us, showcasing their coding and CAD and demoing their robots, along with some other related information and resources.
B-Sides Tampa is an Information Technology Security Conference sponsored by the Tampa Bay Chapter of (ISC)². They are a 100% volunteer-organized event that is put on by and for the community. The purpose of B-Sides Tampa is to provide an open platform for Information Security industry professionals and enthusiasts to collaborate, exchange ideas, and develop long-standing relationships with others in the community. Learn more and register to attend at bsidestampa.net.
AMRoC Spotlights!
Congratulations FRC Team Edgar Allan Ohms!
Our community-based FIRST Robotics Competition team, #5276 the Edgar Allan Ohms, competed at the inaugural Tallahassee FRC Regional in February and made it to the quarterfinals, for the first time in the team’s 8 year history. Throughout the competition, the team stayed in the top third of rankings, and always found a way to contribute to their qualifying alliances, made some pretty creative fixes on the fly, and made it to the middle bar hang in nearly every match, right up to their last one.
More importantly, team members never quit but worked together like the solid dedicated team they are, always had a good
attitude, and remained supportive and big-hearted throughout. We’ll call their #RapidReact season a huge success!
Thank you to the amazing mentors and families who supported the team throughout the season and at the event, and to all the great sponsors: 
Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, NASA STEM, Bay Area Manufacturers Association, SOFWERX, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Analog Devices and Tampa Bay Steel.
The team is currently open to new students ages 13+, with priority given to University Area youth. Visit EdgarAllanOhms.com to learn more and sign up for the team!
Meet our new intern – Adrian!
Please join us in welcoming our new intern, Adrian Chavez Del Salto, a University of South Florida Honors College student. Adrian is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at USF. At AMRoC, he’s working on creating Standard Operating Procedures in our 3D Printing Lab and getting all the printers in working order. We’re grateful for his warm professionalism, expertise, and dedication at AMRoC!
AMRoC Open House During Soaring City Launch
March 31-April 1 AMRoC Fab Lab held an Open House in celebration of the launch of the Soaring City Innovation Partnership
Check out our AMRoC 2022 highlights video above shown during the Soaring City Launch, along with a few photos from the event, below.
We’re on Yelp!
AMRoC Fab Lab is now on Yelp! Please share your reviews and photos to help others learn more about us and find us in Uptown Tampa!
Big Idea Brew Club
Registration is now open for our newly relaunched Equity in Entrepreneurship program, featuring three distinct opportunities for early-stage Uptown Tampa entrepreneurs to learn how to successfully run their own business! The first of these programs is the Big Idea Brew Club kicking off in the spring. Learn more and register at Equinent.org.
AMRoC R&D Labs – Helping You Helps Us!
Stuck on a design or programming problem? AMRoC R&D Labs is available for consultation and hire to solve business and
creative needs and challenges across a diverse field of expertise for the public, private, and government sectors. Professional fees benefit youth programs, in addition to solving your work challenges. Past projects include technology solutions for marine, communications, and aerospace projects, and welcomes the opportunity to explore creative solutions to your business challenges, as well!
AMRoC Fab Lab resources include CNC milling, laser cutting, 3D printing, rapid prototyping, CAD design services, and more. Visit our AMRoC Services page to learn more and schedule an appointment.
Keep your eye on our social media on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for news and information about our upcoming move across the hall, opportunities for volunteering and mentoring, and more!