Meet The Teams Headed to the United States Governor’s Cup: Team 4410 ARC Lightning

What began as a single FIRST^® Tech Challenge team in Andover, Massachusetts, has grown into a student-led program competing on the world stage and advocating for expanded STEM access across the state.

ARC Lightning began in 2010 as a FIRST Tech Challenge team known as Team Awesomesauce. Over the next 15 years, that one team expanded into the Andover Robotics Club, adding Team 5273 “ARC Thunder,” Team 10331 “ARC Hailstorm,” and most recently Team 24256 “ARC Sandstorm.” Today, more than 75 students across four teams power ARC, making it the largest FIRST Tech Challenge organization in Massachusetts.

Students Leading the Way

During an unexpected transitional period at the start of the 2024 season, ARC members collaborated to support team management needs. These same students, all while building their competitive robots, jumped at this new opportunity to hone leadership and business management skills. From supporting sponsorship coordination to planning major local events, the students’ collective diligence and determination allowed ARC’s more than 70 student members to participate fully in the season.

Simultaneously, Lightning delivered its strongest season yet.

During the FIRST Tech Challenge INTO THE DEEP^℠ 2024–2025 season, Lightning qualified for FIRST^® Championship for the first time in the program’s history. And at FIRST Championship, the team placed in the top 0.2% globally and earned 2nd place for the Control Award. The town of Andover later recognized Lightning with a Board of Commissioners Proclamation — an official declaration issued by the town’s governing board to formally honor significant achievements.

ARC Lightning poses for a photo in front of their pit at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas during the 2025 FIRST Championship

That momentum carried into the 2025–2026 FIRST Tech Challenge DECODE™ presented by RTX season, extending across the entire club. Lightning won both of its qualifiers and advanced to the Massachusetts State Championship, in addition to earning an invitation to the United States Governor’s Cup. Teams Thunder and Hailstorm also ranked among the top teams in Massachusetts, while Sandstorm, originally formed as a rookie team, quickly emerged as one of the state’s highest performing teams.

Beyond competition, ARC revived Robostorm, its annual FIRST Tech Challenge competition hosted at Andover High School. The two-qualifier weekend includes two full official competitions held back-to-back, welcoming an estimated 50 teams and nearly 700 students. The entire event is planned, organized, and executed by ARC.

Building Local Solutions

Funding remains one of the greatest barriers to robotics and STEM participation in Massachusetts, particularly in public schools. Often times, navigating school-based financial systems can delay access to funds or limit how they are used, creating additional challenges for teams already operating on tight budgets.

To address this, ARC established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit booster organization, allowing the club to accept tax-exempt donations directly and unlock corporate matching opportunities. The move provided greater flexibility and stability, helping sustain a growing four-team program in the region.

ARC Lightning competing at the 2025 FIRST Championship

The students also launched an online marketplace connecting teams worldwide to share STEM resources, and developed a 38-page, 10-week autonomous robotics curriculum to expand access to deeper engineering education across Massachusetts.

Designed for middle school classrooms, the curriculum introduces foundational programming and sensor-based control through a structured, ready-to-implement framework. ARC has three active pilot programs and is working to expand adoption statewide.

That enthusiasm and broader commitment to expanding hands-on STEM education ultimately led ARC to the Massachusetts State House.

Advocating for STEM Statewide

In support of Massachusetts state bills S.460 and H.702, which aim to strengthen funding for middle and high school STEM programs, ARC students testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education. The bill addresses the financial barriers many STEM programs face particularly in public schools where access to and use of funds can be limited.

A member from ARC Lightning posts flyers in support of Massachusetts State bills S.460 / H.702 at the Boston Public Library in March 2025

Alongside three FIRST^® Robotics Competition teams, ARC students shared how hands-on robotics shaped their academic paths, passions, and future careers. They encouraged fellow students and families to contact local lawmakers and advocate for expanded investment in STEM education. If passed, the legislation would allocate more than $130 million in grant funding to support existing teams and help schools establish new STEM programs statewide.

Following testimony, the bill was incorporated into a broader public education measure (S.400), recommended “Ought to Pass,” and referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. ARC students continue to monitor its progress and remain engaged in the process. In the coming weeks, one team member will meet with Massachusetts Senator Barry Finegold (one of the 22 petitioning senators supporting the larger bill) to discuss next steps and continued advocacy.

For the team, testifying marked a shift from working around systemic barriers to working to change them.

Heading to the 2026 United States Governor’s Cup

Today, ARC Lightning is proud to represent Massachusetts at the United States Governor’s Cup as one of 50 teams invited to compete February 20 – 21 in Washington, D.C. Tune in to the Day 1 and Day 2 livestreams on the Experiential Robotics YouTube channel and follow along as teams show off their dedication, creativity and leadership skills together on the national stage.

To learn more above the event, visit www.experiential.bot/govcup.