SMLS Robotics Team Heads to the STEMly Cup Championship

On October 19th and 20th, SMLS's Robotics Team, SWAT 771, competed in the STEMly Cup Championship in Hamilton. STEMR Prefect, Zynah F., joined her fellow team members for an exciting and rewarding experience. Together, they shared their reflections below.

"STEMley Cup Championship is an off-season event where 27 teams from all over Ontario came together to experience the excitement and rush of a robotics competition outside the regular FIRST Robotics Competition season. Throughout the day, the energy was high as we witnessed the FIRST spirit of “coopertition” in our games. From teams and alumni volunteers helping other teams to ensure every robot can play in a match, lending out parts or offering advice to help fix an issue or provide suggestions to improve our electrical board.

Our team members had an amazing time at the STEMley Cup Championship and learned a lot from each other as well as other teams. The team is excited for the new season and game, which will be revealed at kick-off in January 2025."

SWAT 771 has a proud legacy as one of the pioneering schools in all-girls robotics:

• The first Canadian robotics team sponsored by NASA (typically awarded to US schools)
• The first Canadian all-girls team and only Canadian team to win the prestigious World Engineering Inspiration Award at the FIRST World Championships
• The first all-girls team to be awarded the prestigious Regional Chairman’s Award
• The only Canadian team invited to compete in Shengzhou China in July 2017, and recently hosted the Afghan Dreamers robotics team
• The team were Ontario Provincial Champions in 2019.
• They have also been awarded the prestigious Inspiration Award (2019), the Gracious Professionalism Award (2022) and the Sustainability Award (2023).