Glendale’s Armenian Girls’ Robotics Team Shines
Glendale News Press
Students of Tinker Club, a STEM education organization in Glendale, participated with two teams in the First Lego League ( FLL) robotics competition.
The girls’ robotics team secured first place, while the boys’ team earned third place at the qualifying level. The competition, held in November, featured teams from across Los Angeles County.
This success has advanced both teams to the regional level, where they will compete with top teams from L.A. and neighboring counties. This year, 600 teams are registered to compete at FLL, with 45 teams advancing to the state level in California.
“This accomplishment is particularly notable as it marks the first time an Armenian girls’ robotics team has been formed in Glendale,” according to a Tinker Club press statement. “Not only did they participate, but they also won first place in the 9-14 age group. The boys robotic team also shined by taking third place and also was given the “Motive” award for their curiosity and supportive manner to other participating teams.
Tinker Club’s focus was not on the results but on providing its young students, especially the girls, with the opportunity to be part of this extraordinary experience, the club said. The goal was to foster their interest in STEM, despite their beginner-level coding skills and limited English proficiency, which may have affected their performance. The teams competed in robot game challenges, innovation design and research projects, with judging based on both their presentations and robot performance. Every major success is the result of the hard work and determination of the people involved in the process — the students and their coaches.
Tinker Club is on a mission to inspire young learners, ages 4-14, in science, engineering and technology. STEM education is a great way to empower the young generation in critical thinking, and providing them with knowledge that can help them survive in the future job market and society heavily influenced by artificial intelligence.
