Courtesy of Arya Sarukkai

Junior Arvin Hormati serves as a volunteer referee before the competition.

The For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics program has three major divisions: First Lego League (FLL), First Tech Competition (FTC) and First Robotics Competition (FRC). 

Recently, the school’s 49-member FRC team, MSET Fish, has been making efforts to tighten its relationship with local garage and school-affiliated FLL teams through increased in-depth mentoring. 

FLL is available to fourth through eighth grade students, serving as an introduction to competitive robotics. It features similar gameplay mechanics to the higher levels of competition within FIRST, like FTC and FRC, but focuses on learning. 

The Fish have hosted an FLL scrimmage and provided guests a way to display their work at the recent MSET fair. 

FLL features topics such as an Innovation Project, where teams research a problem related to the game of that year — archeology for this season — and conceptualize solutions. Additionally, in competition, teams are scored on core values that emphasize topics like inclusivity and team spirit.

Many FLL alumni have continued their participation in competitive robotics into high school. In fact, several of the program’s main organizers were FLL veterans as well.

“I was also mentored by SHS when I was in FLL,” said Mihika Nayyar, outreach lead of MSET Fish. “So it’s a very nice full circle moment for me to be able to also go out and mentor kids.”

Eight local FLL teams are mentored by MSET teams in all competition topics, ranging from presentation practice to the technical details of their robot. 

Recently, MSET Fish made the decision to start bringing their Argonaut FLL students to the school for weekly practice sessions. 

FLL teams mentored by MSET, especially those affiliated with an elementary school, have traditionally held practice in their own facilities. However, the number of FLL teams within the community has been growing rapidly, from roughly 14 teams last year to 18 teams this year. Because of this increase, it became difficult to host all these students at Argonaut Elementary. This location change also had the benefit of lessening the transportation burden on student mentors.

In addition to Argonaut teams, garage teams — independent robotics teams without school affiliation — have also begun joining the mentorship program. Through distributing fliers and networking with parents, the FRC team was able to communicate with various community teams and arrange for their mentorship at SHS.

This program also allows for the kids to meet role models that they may not have had access to otherwise. 

“MSET students give the kids something to look up to, as the MSET students represent what the kids will look like in a couple of years and show the responsibility that they will have,” Nayyar said.

Going above and beyond for their students, the club coordinated an FLL scrimmage at the school on Oct. 25 to prepare the kids for real competition. 

“If the kids have been goofing off a lot, they get serious right after the scrimmage because they can see exactly how it works,” said Chris Co, an Argonaut FLL committee parent. “That’s a big deal for kids who are nine, 10 or 11, because they’re at a real transition point where they’re not little kids anymore, and it’s going to get a little bit more serious for them. They have to stay organized.”

Another way MSET has strengthened its connection to its mentees was inviting them to host an exhibit at its fourth annual SMASH Maker Faire on Nov. 1. FLL teams could demonstrate their game and tasks, having their robots operate LEGO pulleys and move minecarts around. The kids were also given the opportunity to present their research to others by showing off their Innovation Projects to onlookers. 

This spotlight rewarded the FLL teams for their hard work and dedication, helping to foster their love for the craft. Through their participation, they also got the opportunity to view robot demonstrations from Redwood Middle and MSET.

With the scrimmage and participation in SMASH, the FLL mentorship program for this year will be ending shortly. However, student leads are currently planning future expansions to encourage a deeper, more involved relationship between MSET and the local FLL teams.

This includes an MSET mentorship panel where the kids can ask questions about middle school and continuing on in robotics. They are also planning to add more events to next year’s scrimmage, better organize the overall competition and expand volunteer training in order to make for the most authentic experience possible.

These changes are a great opportunity for the FLL teams and MSET alike. SHS students gain experience mentoring, while elementary school students get access to an older role model in robotics. And with the planned expansions to the program, it promises to continue bolstering the community as a whole.

“This year we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of FLL teams,” Nayyar said. “So it’s really nice to see that we have so many teams and so many kids who are being impacted by our FLL mentoring program.”