ABOUT US

  Way back in 2001, six students chose to implement a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team at Lindenhurst Senior High School. They were given the team number "533" by FIRST and chose the name Omega Project after the last letter in the Greek alphabet, Omega. After winning their first competition, the team chose to move up one letter to Psi, establishing our current brand: Team 533, the PSIcotics. Since then, our team has collected over 15 awards, placed as Regional Finalists three times, won another regional competition, and has attended FIRST Championship seven times. But we don’t have a team just to win trophies, we do it for the students.

   Our team accepts membership from all 9th-12th grade students in our district. Once on the team, our members undergo various lessons in STEM and pick up skills in business, arts, and communication, while participating in a variety of initiatives to promote safety, women in STEM, and communal outreach. This is carried out by our Executive Board under the supervision of our Advisors and Mentors, all of which are adults skilled in different fields. Our team is even lucky enough to have alumni return and help our team.

  Aside from our student members, FIRST also encourages us to help our community. But we like to take it one step further, helping out whoever and wherever we can. The PSIcotics are known for attending dozens of charity walks, beach clean-ups, and hosting a variety of events, including drives for pet supplies for shelter animals, non-perishables for the homeless, and toys for children. Even if it means cramming in service events, we at Team 533 are happy to set aside time to help those in need.

  Now we know what you’re thinking: where does the funding for a program of this size come from? For starters, there are dozens of companies that have sponsored our team throughout the years, donating money, products, or labor. To help, our business branch also hosts fundraisers and applies for grants. The PSIcotics are also supported by the Lindenhurst Robotics Coalition, a non-profit organization that aids in Team 533’s travel fees, which allows more students to participate in team events. Were it not for these generous organizations, our team would not have been able to survive nineteen seasons, let alone thrive as much as we have.

  But most importantly, our team would not be in the position it is had it not been for our greatest supporters.  We owe a great debt to our district’s staff and our team’s volunteers, including our mentors, who help develop our team each season. Finally, we thank our biggest fans at home, our parents, who have proven to be our most dedicated fans. Even though we might be PSIcotic, it is our supporters at home that keep us sane.

  So there it is! This is a brief history of our team, and what’s gotten us through twenty seasons. Interested in reading more in-depth? Check out the tabs above for more information!