FIRST Robotics at the MN State Fair: Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

This year, our FIRST Robotics team had the amazing opportunity to represent STEM and robotics at the MN State Fair and what an experience it was!

We joined with two other teams to showcase our competition robots, and the highlight of the day was watching kids light up as they took the controls themselves. With team members guiding them, kids of all ages got the chance to drive the robot, ask questions, and learn more about how it was built. It wasn’t just a demo, it was hands-on, interactive, and all about sparking curiosity.

Beyond the demos, we also rolled into the spotlight, literally, as part of the MN State Fair parade! Our robot made its way through the crowds, waving (in its own robotic way) to thousands of fairgoers. It was a fun and memorable way to show off what students can accomplish with teamwork, creativity, and engineering.

Another highlight of the event was our custom-designed poster, which shared our team’s goals, values, and impact in the community. We put a lot of thought into telling our story about how we build more than just robots. We’re building leadership, collaboration, and outreach. We were proud (and a little stunned!) to learn that our poster won second place overall. It was a great reminder that our work off the field matters just as much as what we build for competition.

Events like this are a reminder of why we do what we do: not just to compete, but to inspire. Whether it’s through building, teaching, or sharing our passion, we’re proud to be part of the FIRST community and excited to keep reaching more young minds.