For the 2020-2021 season, Team 5510 is going to be completely re-branding ourselves in order to be more inclusive to the larger Hamilton school community, and to create a modern and succinct brand that we can promote at the competition. Stay tuned for new details on some of the many exciting changes our team plans to make this season, and for our plans to make next year the best year in Hamilton Engineering History.

Click to learn more specifics about each program.

The goal of the Hamilton Engineering program is to expose students in a Title I school to equipment and engineering techniques that could be used for future success in fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). We do this through competing in three major STEM related competitions (JPL, Robotics, and MESA), as well as through exposing students to some of the conceptual aspects of engineering in our Career and Technical Education (CTE) class.

The da Vinci Coders is a unique team in that we offer opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) not only to the groups typically represented in these fields, but to the incredibly diverse population of our Title I host school (Alexander Hamilton Senior High School). Over 75% of our team comes from underrepresented populations in STEM, and we actively pursue closing the gender gap in STEM by creating a welcoming and supportive environment for women on our team. Additionally, through our fundraising and grant writing programs, we try to ensure that no student will feel left out of our program for want of resources. At the end of the day, our goal is greater than just winning a single competition; our goal is to change the face of STEM and prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.

Team 5510 likes nothing more than a good competition, but we also recognize that, as , each team has a responsibility to work with each other and help others if they are struggling. In accordance with the FIRST organization, Team 5510 embodies this mantra of gracious professionalism both in and out of competition. During the build season, we will frequently work with other teams such as Hawthorne High School, and at competition, we actively check on opposing teams to see how we can help and any tools we can provide. Though we may not have as resources or engineering knowledge to help as some other teams, we have the spirit and the will to help others whenever we can and further the cause of STEM not just for us, but for others as well.

Above anything else, Team 5510 values the safety of each one of our participants. At the beginning of every year, we have a mandatory safety quiz for all participants that covers the basics of safety both at school and in competition. Additionally, before using power tools, a person must go through a rigorous authorization process that assures they will understand the tools they intend to use. Every day during club and class meetings, our team leadership works to reaffirm safety guidelines, and our wonderful mentors ensure safety through strict supervision during use of any tools. Altogether, our team would be nothing if not a safe and responsible team that doesn't just teach engineering, but safe and proper engineering as well.