How FIRST^® Tech Challenge Team Curiosity Expands STEM Access for Students in Los Angeles

FIRST^® Tech Challenge Team 11770 “Curiosity” is an all-girls team based out of Marlborough School in Los Angeles, CA. Inspired by the Curiosity Mars Rover, the team is dedicated to promoting STEM and robotics within their community, with a focus on providing opportunities to students who might not have previously been able to pursue these kinds of activities.

As big embracers of the phrase More than Robots^®, Team “Curiosity” feels strongly that embodying the ethos of FIRST means building strong connections and friendships and sharing their passion for STEM and robotics with others.

Dedicated to making an impact, the team is relentless when it comes to exploration, innovation, and most importantly, collaboration. Keep reading to learn more about these inspiring #PeopleofSTEAM and the work they are doing to foster STEM skills within their community.

Current Outreach Efforts

Currently, the team is hard at work doing the following (and more!)

• Working with local organizations like No Limits, CoachArt, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Mar Vista Family Center
• Running online and in-person lessons for elementary and middle school students
• Here, they teach engineering, conduct construction-related labs, and more!
• Fundraising for local STEM organizations

This has not only allowed them to share STEM with other students, but has helped develop the team’s mentoring capabilities, a vital skill for their futures.

Cookies for Curiosity

When it comes to STEM outreach, Team “Curiosity” is no stranger to stepping outside of the box to make change happen. To raise funds for Greenlight for Girls, an international STEM organization, the team held a massive bake sale called Cookies for Curiosity. During their event, they sold over one thousand homemade cookies, raising over $3,400 for the organization based in Los Angeles. A further testament to how much Team “Curiosity” gives back to the community that supports them.

Sharing FIRST with their Community

In addition, the team has worked tirelessly to found, fund, and coach a younger, all-girls FIRST team at their nearby Boys and Girls Club to provide robotics skills to students who otherwise may have not had the opportunity.

When they discovered that the nearest qualifying tournament for teams was over an hour away, Team “Curiosity” took it upon themselves to meet with program delivery partners and school officials to understand more about hosting a tournament. After months of planning, preparation, and lots of missions, they successfully hosted a tournament involving 24 teams and over 300 people at the Marlborough FIRST qualifier.

“It’s never been about winning the robot game. It’s about recognizing how much privilege we have to even be here, and using our platform to support others,” said Sarah, a member of the team.

Now, the team is dedicated to showing others that they can be #PeopleofSTEAM, too. Each one of them has found inspiration from STEM professionals. They work hard to ensure that other young STEM students can look at a team like theirs and feel seen.

Out of all their achievements, the team’s favorite memory is when they won the Inspire Award at the 2025 FIRST^® Championship presented by BAE Systems, Inc. In the lead up to the event, a former team captain allowed the team to use her entire dining room to make space for a practice field. This allowed the team to practice day and night, performing judging runs as a team and perfecting their robot until the very end.

“It was truly a full circle moment for many of our team members who had been competing in FIRST since they were in seventh grade,” the team said. “It reminded us that the countless late nights, challenges, and laughter along the way were all worth it. That experience continues to motivate us every day to push our limits, support each other, and keep inspiring others in the FIRST community.”

Through robotics competitions, mentorship, and community outreach, FIRST Tech Challenge Team “Curiosity” is expanding access to STEM education and robotics opportunities while inspiring students to pursue engineering and technology.

Would your team like to be featured as #PeopleofSTEAM? Share your story with #PeopleofSTEAM on social media or send us your story at marketing@firstinspires.org.