Our Team

So, what is Westside Boiler Invasion?

Westside Boiler Invasion (WBI) is a high school robotics team located in West Lafayette, IN, that competes in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. More importantly, though, Westside Boiler Invasion 461 is an amazing program that inspires students to do more with their lives. Through hands on work on robots, animations, websites, and other projects, team members learn the promise of science and technology.

Mission and Vision

Changing Lives

FIRST and Westside Boiler Invasion teach important technical knowledge, skills in management, and public relations to its members. Team involvement also strengthens students' life skills, particularly their organization, dedication, and capacity for hard work.

The FIRST and WBI programs attract the interest of students in the fields of science and technology. These organizations affect everyone involved, including teachers, advisors, sponsors, and the community. While involvement in FIRST requires a lot of work, the work pays back tenfold.

Each January, FIRST announces the rules for the year's game. The high school team members work with engineers, teachers, and college advisors to design and construct a robot to play the game. Constructing the robot is a difficult task--each team gets merely six weeks to complete it, after which teams compete in regional and national competitions. Although the competition and the building of the robot take only a few months, Westside Boiler Invasion works throughout the entire year.

WBI's Uniqueness

A unique thing about Westside Boiler Invasion is that it is entirely run by high school teachers, Purdue faculty, and Purdue students. We work in the West Lafayette High School tech education shop and computer lab.