As a member of the Bizarbots Robotics program at Holbrook Middle-High School for many years, a key component of our organization is fundraising. Our program has almost doubled in size this year, and with growth comes additional costs for things like hotels, meals, etc. Now being a junior and Co-Captain, I have participated in many fundraisers throughout the history of our program, and have been a witness to the many benefits it has not only for organizations like us but students as well. 

 In a world where many young people now lack social skills and hide behind their phones, fundraising is something that forces them to step out of their comfort zone and approach people with confidence. Learning to talk in front of adults with professionalism is an important skill that I have grown up with through fundraising. It is quite natural to be nervous when going into these situations, but from personal experience it has helped me grow a lot in professional settings, as well as public speaking. Performing things like school presentations and demonstrations has come with a lot less nerves after having experienced the fundraising process. 

Sara Sullivan, a senior and Co-Captain of the Bizarbots has had similar experiences in fundraising, stating, “Fundraising has developed my confidence in public speaking by forcing me to go out and talk to people. Being in situations where a sponsor needs to be contacted in person has taught me how to interact with businesses in a professional manner.”

Beyond just seeking monetary gain from fundraising, it also provides an opportunity to make long-lasting connections between companies and their staff. A company who we have made a great connection with is Boston Mutual from Canton, Massachusetts. From personal experience, Boston Mutual has been a returning and key sponsor of our program for many years, but also has shown us great hospitality. They have provided us the opportunity to host demonstrations within their company, allowing their staff to see what work we’ve been doing. This has created a more personal connection between our team and their staff, as well as giving us more experience with public speaking and presentations. 

Our Robotics Program hosted our annual STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) night fundraiser on Friday, December 9th. The event included a mystery raffle, arts and crafts, and STEM-related activities. This gave our program an opportunity to interact with students in the town and try to give them inspiration to become the next generation of STEM-related fields. I personally can say that coming to these events as an elementary school student inspired me to join the team, as well as take an interest in engineering. At the end of the day, fundraising is important in a financial sense, but the main goal of our program is and always has been to teach and inspire students through STEM education. 

As a young student, fundraising for organizations you may be involved in can seem like an intimidating task. In reality, however, it is a very necessary thing to keep a program running. While I mainly highlighted the fundraising aspect of the robotics program in Holbrook, many other clubs and organizations within our school rely on fundraising to meet their needs. Even if you’re a bit nervous about approaching something like fundraising, I think it is important that you at least try because it can improve your public speaking skills, allow you to build bridges between companies and the community, and allow you to serve and inspire others.