Like this article? Support us by subscribing here. Your donation will help us continue to provide quality-of-life news and make local impact possible.
By Carole Keily
The Osbourn Park High School robotics team is known as the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 2068, The Metal Jackets. FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an international nonprofit that operates three competitive programs: FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for elementary students, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle school students, and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school students.
Mission and Vision Statement
The Metal Jackets’ mission is to build a robot that meets today’s design requirements while engineering tomorrow’s solutions. They design with the community in mind to utilize the latest and greatest technology, to use innovative processes, and to demonstrate leadership while existing as a cohesive fluid team.
Their vision is to create an interdisciplinary entourage of young scholars focused on utilizing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to nurture a unified team approach and to encourage individual contributions to embrace the competitive global future.
Giving Back
Beyond robotics competition, the team is deeply committed to STEM advocacy and accessibility. In recognition of their efforts, the team was nominated for Prince William Living’s Giving Back award in 2025.
Michael Kaloudelis, a team member who serves as the Business Team Lead for Team Metal Jackets, said, “We lead initiatives such as our local educational campaign ‘This Is A Girl Thing,’ which promotes gender equity in STEM through workshops, and actively mentor younger students through FLL programs, where our teams have earned multiple competitive awards. We have also launched two FLL teams for students who were not accepted into the school-based FLL program.
“Additionally, we host two FLL events at OPHS per year! These are among the largest in the world, with more than 1,100 participants and nearly 200 volunteers.
“This is also a great time for our local and state legislative outreach. Statewide, we advocate to the General Assembly for bills and policies that would help students, and especially bills geared towards the advancement of STEM for all! Internationally, we have founded and continue to engage with FLL teams in three countries (Honduras, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic) that connect students across borders,
which reinforces FIRST’s global mission to inspire innovation and leadership through STEM.”
The Metal Jackets with Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado and OPHS Principal Lisamarie Kane
Since 2023, the Metal Jackets have traveled to Richmond to advocate for Senate Bill 5. This landmark bill established a generous grant program for Title I schools across Virginia that have or want to start robotics teams and clubs. Locally, they have also advocated for Prince William County Schools (PWCS) to establish two STEM centers in the county. Kaloudelis said, “These STEM centers would be a significant investment into the students of PWCS, and launch even more thriving futures, for even more graduates.”
The Metal Jackets program primarily serves OPHS students with interests in robotics and its four core subteams: Mechanical, Electrical, Programming, and Business. They conduct outreach to incoming first-year students, who are strongly encouraged to apply and get involved early.
Build Season and Awards
The team’s build season begins in early January (it was Jan. 10 for the 2026 season) and lasts eight weeks; competition starts the following week.
Kaloudelis said, “The team has earned a wide range of awards within the Chesapeake district. During the 2024 season, we won both the FIRST Impact Award and the Engineering Inspiration Award at regional competitions, followed by the Engineering Inspiration award at the District Championship Award at the
District Championship in Petersburg, Virginia. This achievement qualified us for the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas.
“In the 2025 season, we earned the Judges’ Award at the Alexandria Competition hosted at Hayfield Secondary School. We also won the FIRST Impact Award in 2023.”
Origin of the Team Name
Osbourn Park High School’s mascot is the Yellow Jacket, which inspired the team name, The Metal Jackets. It is a nod to both engineering and school pride.
Kaloudelis said, “Our primary logo used in our email is our longstanding team logo. Each season, we also introduce unique visual elements that reflect the year’s robot, game, and theme! For example, our 2025 season is based on a reef and under the sea because that was the theme of the game!”
To keep up with the Metal Jackets, visit their website, metaljackets.org.
Carole Keily is Prince William Living’s Editor. Her daughter was previously a member of the Metal Jackets team.
