All-girl teams focus attention on the gender imbalance in FIRST robotics and STEM fields. We realized that we contributed to this imbalance by not actively recruiting girls in STEM and doing more to support their involvement over time. In our first 4 years, we had only one female member!  She is now bioengineering major in college. 

In 2022-2023, we decided to focus on inclusivity within our program because diverse perspectives and talents produce better decisions and results.  We began personally recruiting female students from math, science and engineering classes; observed interactions in group activities that discourage girls leadership; and interviewed students about their experiences. We also interviewed an African American female professional about what it took for her to enter a male dominated educational program and career. 

We learned that engaging and supporting girls in robotics has to start earlier than high school.  Feedback from the girls on this year's FLL teams - and their parents - proved the value of having female role models.  All plan to continue in FLL next year and some are looking forward to becoming Pioneers in high school.  

In our 6th year, members of our FTC team are continuing to mentor district FLL teams. Our members also volunteer as expert judges, and referees in regional and state FLL tournaments.

During the pandemic, we 3D-printed and assembled  face shields for healthcare workers locally and across the country.  We also provided 600 for staff members in our school district.