The First Tech Challenge (FTC) is a global organization that holds annual robotics competitions, bringing together hundreds of top robotics teams from around the world. Among these is a local all-girls team, Artemis Robotics, that is inspiring the future of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The team works during the competition season, meeting on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays predominantly working in Redwood’s engineering classroom. Any high school student wanting to join the team can sign up at the start of each season.
According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics in 2021, about two-thirds (65%) of those employed in STEM occupations were men and about one-third (35%) were women. Through hard work and dedication, Artemis Robotics is committed to proving women can excel in STEM fields.
These competitions, starting in September, take place worldwide. Starting at regional competitions, teams work their way up in rank across Northern California. At this time, Artemis Robotics is participating in trial competitions that add to their rank but are made to correct errors in the teams’ robots. Before competing against opposing teams, robots must go under inspection; teams are then assigned pairs, forming an alliance. The pairs then compete against other opposing alliances in a game with specific tasks and obstacles. Alliances collect points by completing tasks such as navigating the game floor or retrieving blocks, during both autonomous and driver-controlled periods of these matches. The alliance with the highest score at the end of the match wins, and rankings throughout the competition determine which teams advance to the next round for a chance to win the competition.
Sophomore Maayan Bujanover has been a part of Artemis Robotics for two years and recognizes her love for spending time building these robots.
“[There’s] kind of a beauty to it. [It’s] really satisfying to see something that you’ve been planning and working on for months come together to make something so perfect and improve [on it],” Bujanover said. “You keep knocking out all the little problems, just adding details and [refining things], so I feel it’s just really satisfactory.”
Freshman team member Nikki Lamb recalls how a kind and generous donor supported the all-girls team, showing her support to women in STEM fields.
“Being [on] a women’s team, you sometimes get more grants just from people [who] want women in engineering. Many women want to see more [representation of young girls] in engineering,” Lamb said.
She emphasizes the significance of the FTC competition, highlighting how it provides students with invaluable opportunities to develop real-world skills.
“It’s a great way to teach high school students or even younger engineers. It inspires a lot of people to get into STEM and engineering [and] it can open a lot of opportunities,” Lamb said.
As the FTC name follows a highly regarded reputation, it provides countless opportunities for emerging talents through scholarships. Being a part of the FTC competition not only strengthens one’s college applications but also engages young students, causing memorable moments of learning to expand their character.
“I’ve personally grown so much from FTC. I’ve learned so much about problem-solving and a [new] way of looking at things. It’s just a great experience,” Lamb said.
These competitions unite and encourage young women to continue in STEM through their appealing and life-changing experiences. Robotics encourages young people to solve challenging problems primarily by themselves. These young minds are the new generation of ideas and the future of STEM.
