SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Giga Bite, a team of youth robotics from the Tahoe STEM Academy and Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, competed this month in Henderson, Nevada against nearly 30 other teams from within the region and came out on top. 

“Power Play,” the aptly named challenge, required each team to design, build and program robots which would then power through a game to display their creativity, problem-solving skills, while putting their teamwork to the test. 

Giga Bite is a second-year community-based team competing in the Northern Nevada FTC League, coached by David Wise, and Monique LeMay. This year’s team members are Jay Feeney, Arya Saini, Jackson Letton, Logan Habicht, Connor Habicht, Jude James, Jacob Lucas, Josie Feeney, Jackson Grillone, Seth Johnson, Trevor Bennet, and Ris Goralski. In addition to the team’s victory, Feeney and Lucas both were semifinalists for the Dean’s List individual award. 

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“We are so excited to have gotten this opportunity to travel and compete alongside all these very talented teams. We can’t wait to see what we can accomplish next season,” said Management Team Lead and Builder Arya Saini.

David Wise, Tahoe STEM Academy educator and coach of Giga Bite, said, “I’m so amazingly proud of this group of talented young individuals. They poured their hearts and souls into their robot and this competition, and it truly shows. I’m honored to be one of their coaches, along with Monique LeMay. These kids are going to do amazing things and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”

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Tahoe STEM Academy offers daily instruction through the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, as well as private engineering-focused lessons for adults and kids alike. 

The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe provided a location for the team to meet and build in the STEM Room at the Angel of Tahoe Main Site Building which allowed the team members to foster a mentoring relationship with younger members. 

According to a recent press release from the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, the competitive robotics program created by Tahoe STEM Academy and Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe aims to promote critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among young people in the South Lake Tahoe community, helping to develop the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.

The team wished to wholeheartedly thank their sponsors, Untethered Coworking Space, Lumos & Associates, Tahoe STEM Academy, and the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. This season and win would not have been possible without their support. 

FIRST Robotics is a global organization that aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on robotics competitions. Founded in 1989, the organization has grown to over 500,000 participants worldwide, with programs for students in grades K-12.