We connect a broad community of different ethnicities, abilities, genders, and backgrounds to provide innovative educational opportunities and help counteract the disadvantages they face. We focus on global relations by supporting FIRST^® Global teams in 18 countries throughout Africa and creating free FIRST^® LEGO^® League camps that highlighted gender-inclusive STEM education in Mexico. We additionally offered to help rebuild the Afghan Dreamers’ robot when it was unable to travel to competition and raised funds for their FIRST^® Robotics Competition season. Our goal is for our team to be representative of our dynamic community ensuring that many perspectives are included in decision-making.

During the height of the pandemic, we manufactured 3D-printed face shields and provided them free of charge to frontline workers in over 25 states and created jigs to make bias-fabric bands to combat the national elastic shortage. Many teenagers feel like they aren’t in a position to make an impact. However, creating Personal Protective Equipment helped to raise our spirits, as it gave us a tangible way to use our unique skills to make a difference. By traveling overseas to teach STEM skills to underrepresented students, we experienced positive, life-changing situations and events, such as working through language barriers and appreciating the beauty of different cultures. Incredible friendships and connections have been formed, ultimately changing our lives and shaping us into the people we are today.

When we teach children to become innovators, we train our students to become educators. We plan to continue and expand our mission of spreading STEM beyond our walls and meeting the needs of our local, national, and global communities. We are taking charge of being a Force for change by working to reinstate FIRST LEGO League teams struggling to stay active post-lockdown, continuing outreach demonstrations at home and worldwide, and engaging audiences outside traditional STEM groups.