The Techalongs, FIRST Tech Challenge Team 17062, a group of nine dedicated Girl Scouts, have won the prestigious Inspire Award at the Arizona State Championship, securing their place at the upcoming FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston from April 16-19, 2025. They are one of just three teams to represent Arizona in the competition.
The Techalongs, composed of Girl Scouts from troops 2010, 2256, 4727, 4338, 7076, and 4202, range in age from 12 to 18. These young innovators represent a diverse set of schools, including Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center, Scottsdale Preparatory, BASIS Scottsdale, Cheyenne, Copper Ridge, Desert Mountain, Sunrise Middle School, and Desert Canyon Middle School.
The Inspire Award is the highest honor in FIRST Tech Challenge, recognizing teams that exemplify excellence in robot design, engineering, teamwork, and community outreach. Winning this award reflects The Techalongs’ dedication to STEM education,
leadership, and service, embodying the core values of both FIRST and the Girl Scouts.
In addition to their competitive success, the Techalongs are passionate advocates for women in STEM. They regularly hold badge workshops and run a summer camp for young Girl Scouts to inspire the next generation of female engineers and innovators. The team is also proud to be FIRST Like a Girl and m.e. (menstrual equity) FIRST Ambassadors, furthering their mission to support and mentor young women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The Techalongs have not only built an impressive robot to address the challenges of this year’s game, “Into the Deep,” but have also engaged in community outreach by mentoring a FIRST Lego League team and promoting FIRST in their school and Girl Scout communities throughout the year. As they prepare for the World Championship in Houston, they continue to fundraise and refine their engineering skills to compete against top teams from around the globe.
For those interested in supporting the Techalongs on their journey to the World Championship, please follow their progress on https://www.instagram.com/ftc_techalongs/.
About FIRST Tech Challenge: FIRST Tech Challenge is an international robotics competition where teams design, build, and program robots to complete specific challenges. The program emphasizes teamwork, innovation, and real-world problem-solving, preparing students for future careers in STEM fields.
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