The Berkley High School FIRSTTM Robotics Team was established in 1999 as a participant in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Comau Pico, an international manufacturer of automated welding systems, and the University of Detroit Mercy were partnered with Berkley High School to form Team 247, "Da Bears".
Team 247 has had the luck of being involved with schools that have many people willing to help us succeed as a team. In 1999, a teacher at Berkley High School, Mr. Yowchuang, helped develop the team, and became our coach for the first two years, in which we won rookie of the year award. In the 2001 season, Mr. Goldberg, a history teacher at Berkley High School, took over. He served as the coach for over seven years. Our current coach, Mr. Bergeron, is a teacher of biology at Shrine High School, and has been the proud coach since 2009.
Da Bears have won many awards over past years, including the Palmetto Regional in 2006, the Detroit and Pittsburgh Regionals in 2007, a District Chairman's Award at Traverse City, and second place at the World Championship in 2009. For a full list of the team's awards, please visit the Team Awards Page.
For the 2012 season, Da Bears have continued to expand their membership, with nearly 20 members currently on the team. This year, Da Bears are hoping to add to their history by having both a winning season and a positive effect on their members' lives.