At the middle of the 2023-2024 CENTERSTAGE competition season, our team visited a nearby elementary school to bring the excitement of robotics directly to young students. We presented our competition robot to second- and third-grade classes who were already taking part in an FLL Explore program. During the visit, we explained the basics of the FIRST competitions, introduced them to the season’s challenge, and gave them a closer look at how a real FTC robot is designed and operated. The students were not only fascinated by the robot itself, but also inspired by the idea that robotics is something they can continue to pursue as they grow. For us, the experience was deeply rewarding—it reminded us why outreach matters and how much impact a single demonstration can have in sparking curiosity, imagination, and ambition in the next generation of engineers and innovators.
