The Steelheads First Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team are the new Idaho State Champions! The Steelheads were a rookie team in 2025 and yet narrowly lost in the competition finals. But in 2026 they came back determined to do everything possible to bring the trophy home to North Idaho, and they did! The Steelheads are a community-based team of local high school students, ages 15-17. They have been working together for two years learning robotics, engineering, computer programming, CAD modeling and 3D printing. As State Champs they will now move on to a World Premier event in Long Beach, California in May 2026. This four-day event will include 80 teams from across the globe. In 2025 the Steelheads qualified for a Premier event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and placed third! This year they are excited to see what they can achieve against more teams from around the world. This event requires a substantial amount of fundraising, as the entry fee alone is $2000, and then there will be the cost of airline tickets and hotel accommodations. The team will be hosting bake sales and selling flower baskets, which you can find posted on their Instagram page @Steelheads_25776 if you would like to support them. We appreciate any donations and will post an update as to how their experience in Long Beach unfolds. Go Steelheads!!