Support Local Orgs: Focus on STEM

For the past two years, we've hosted the STEAM trailer from PBS.

This year, our local Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math heroes get a turn to show off their talent. It will be fun for ALL ages!!!!!

Hoover's Hometown Days is all about celebrating our community, and this year we're excited to bring some fun to the festival with the West Branch Robotics Team & Boosters! 🤖

Stop by our booth in the West Branch Town Hall to check out:

🧱 A Lego table with building toys for our youngest engineers

🔧 Hands-on STEM challenge activities

🤖 A look at our robot (it won't be running, but come say hi and check out the robotics gear up close!)

Community support is what keeps programs like this going strong. If you'd like to help our team keep building, learning, and competing, we'd love your support:

The dunk tank will be on Main Street. Warm up your pitching arm!!

👉 Sponsor us: 5041cybears.org/sponsorship

💚 Or donate directly via Venmo: @WBROBOTICSBOOSTERS

Building Community, One Robot at a Time: WB Robotics Boosters at Hoover's Hometown Days

Every year, Hoover's Hometown Days brings our community together to celebrate what makes West Branch special, and this year, the West Branch Robotics Boosters are thrilled to be part of it.

Why We're Here

Supporting our local schools and clubs isn't just something we do on the side. It's the whole reason we exist. Our robotics team, Cybears 5041, gives students hands-on experience with engineering, coding, teamwork, and problem-solving — skills that carry them well beyond the classroom. Hometown Days gives us a chance to bring a little bit of that experience out into the community and share it with neighbors of all ages.

What to Expect at Our Booth

Our STEM activities will be indoors so families can enjoy them rain or shine. Here's what you'll find:

🤖 Robot on Display Our robot won't be running this year, but it will be out for display, so stop by and take a close look at the kind of machine our students design, build, and program throughout the season. It's a great conversation starter for curious kids (and curious adults, too).

🧱 Lego Table We'll have a dedicated Lego table set up with building toys for our youngest visitors. It's a simple, open-ended way for little ones to start building and creating — no instructions required.

🔧 STEM Challenge Activities Alongside the Lego table, we're planning some hands-on STEM challenge activities for kids to try their hand at problem-solving, just like our team does at competitions.

Why Community Support Matters

Programs like ours run on the generosity of people who believe in what students can build when they're given the right tools and encouragement. Every sponsorship and donation helps cover the cost of parts, competition fees, travel, and equipment that keep our team running strong season after season.

We can't wait to connect with families at Hoover's Hometown Days, show off what our students have built, and get a new generation excited about STEM.

See you at Hoover's Hometown Days! 🎉

Cybears 5041 Stats & FAQs

Team overview

• Team 5041 "CyBears," based in West Branch, Iowa, rookie year 2014

• Ranked 12 of 46 EPA-rated FRC teams in Iowa, with a current EPA that places them in the top 24% globally (#1,777 of 7,519 rated teams worldwide) and a 42.9% win rate across 170 career matches CompeteSTEM

Recent recognitions

• West Branch Community Schools was recognized in 2026 as one of 15 schools worldwide for its outstanding commitment to expanding access to FIRST programs

• Mentor/educator Matt Cain was recognized in 2026 as one of 15 educators globally for the same reason

Season-by-season highlights

• 2025: Semifinalists at the Iowa Regional: ranked 17th of 51 teams, 3rd pick of alliance 3, eliminated in the semifinals

• 2024: Alliance captain at Central Illinois, ranked 7th and led their alliance through three matches. At the Iowa Regional, led by alliance captain team 4646 alongside team 2526, they placed second in finals as the 5th-ranked alliance, and won the Regional Finalist Award and the Imagery Award

• 2026 (current season): 7‑13‑0 in official play, ranked No.1353 in the Regional Championship Pool with 25 points, eliminated in the Double Elimination Bracket as the 2nd pick of Alliance 4

Other program notes

• 5041 also supports multiple FIRST Lego League Challenge teams through monetary donations, material support, and mentorship.

• Several FLL teams they've mentored have won awards too (Robot Performance, Design Honorable Mention, Judges Award, etc.)

• In 2023, the team donated Lego NXT robotics kits to a fellow FRC team's mentor for STEM outreach in Kenya

• CyBears also support other local businesses, like this custom Gummy Bar creation for The Honey Den!