Atlanta, Georgia · Est. 2002
Building robots. Developing minds. Changing lives.
Linking Ideas and Networking Kids with Science. We're a middle and high school robotics team drawing students from ten schools across metro Atlanta — public, private, and home schools.
01 — Mission
A passion for STEM, built by hand.
The mission of Fernbank LINKS is to inspire a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in our community, with a focus on introducing children and young adults to the possibilities and rewards of the STEM fields.
We strive to ensure that our members develop — through education and hands-on experience — the leadership skills and technical knowledge they need to succeed in a global community. Students design, machine, wire, and program real competition robots, then take that work back out into the community through outreach events for younger kids.
- Schools represented
- 10
- Weeks to build a robot
- 6
- Rookie year in FRC
- 2013
02 — Spring season
Team 4468 FIRST Robotics Competition
Under strict rules, limited resources, and the guidance of volunteer mentors — engineers, teachers, business professionals, parents, and alumni — teams of 25+ students have just six weeks to build and program a robot that performs challenging tasks against a field of competitors.
They also raise funds, design a team brand, sharpen teamwork skills, and carry out community outreach. Alongside the STEM and life skills, participants become eligible to apply for more than $25 million in college scholarships.
Fernbank LINKS has competed in FRC as Team 4468 since 2013 and has grown into a Georgia FIRST powerhouse. The team is known for robot consistency and focus, and for winning the Engineering Inspiration award through enormous outreach efforts.
03 — Build log
Every robot we've named.
One machine per season, six weeks each, newest first.
-
2019
Valentina
Destination: Deep Space
-
2018
Armida
FIRST Power Up
-
2017
Rhonda
FIRST Steamworks
-
2016
#Hashtag
FIRST Stronghold
-
2015
Chloe
Recycle Rush
-
2014
Athena
Aerial Assist
-
2013
Bellatrix
Ultimate Ascent
Rookie season
Scroll sideways, or use the arrow keys.
04 — Fall season
Team 701 BEST Robotics
Take plywood and a box filled with PVC pipe, screws and hardware, an irrigation valve cover, piano wire, aluminum paint grid, a bicycle inner tube, a BRAIN programmable platform, and something called a micro-energy chain system. Then try, in six weeks, to build a machine that performs specific tasks in three minutes.
You get BEST — a middle and high school robotics competition whose mission is to excite students about engineering, science, and technology, and inspire them to pursue careers in those fields. Through this project-based program, students learn to analyze and solve problems using the Engineering Design Process, and build the technological literacy that industry looks for.
Fernbank LINKS has competed in Georgia BEST since 2004, and is now the official Hub sponsor of Georgia BEST.
Recent BEST robot
06 — Home base
Tapestry Public Charter School
Fernbank LINKS operates out of Tapestry Public Charter School, a DeKalb County School District charter school in Doraville.
07 — Contact
Have a question? Want to get involved?
Students, families, mentors, and sponsors — we'd like to hear from you.