Upper St. Clair High School’s robotics team, TeraBridges 18603, delivered an exceptional performance at the 2025 Pennsylvania FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championship, held on March 8-9, 2025, at Bellefonte Area High School. Competing against 40 top-tier robotics teams from across the state, TeraBridges stood out for its outstanding outreach, robot design and teamwork, ultimately securing an invitation to the prestigious FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX, this April.
TeraBridges is one of just four FTC teams from Pennsylvania to receive this honor and is the only FTC team from Western Pennsylvania invited to the World Championship.
During the qualification rounds, TeraBridges ranked 7th out of the 40 teams, earning the 5th place alliance captain position. They selected team FIRST Try 21364 from York, PA, as their alliance partner and advanced through the elimination rounds. After an intense competition, TeraBridges earned the prestigious Inspire 3 Award, which recognizes the team that embodies the spirit of the FIRST Tech Challenge – excelling in robot design, performance, outreach, and community engagement.
As a result of their victory, TeraBridges secured the fourth and final spot to represent Pennsylvania at the World Championship, joining 3 other top teams from PA: Silver Wolves 20153, OUT of the BOX 7244, and RoboCorns 14423.
Community Outreach and Engagement
TeraBridges has long been committed to giving back to their community through various outreach efforts. This season, they engaged with 17 industry professionals, including engineers and professionals from organizations like Proud Automation, PSA Systems, Allegheny Millwork, Gecko Robotics, St. Clair Health, and UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. These conversations provided valuable feedback on their robot design and gave students a deeper insight into STEM fields.
The team has also led several community events, including running the FIRST LEGO League scrimmage at Upper St. Clair High School, promoting FIRST Robotics at SpaceBurgh Pittsburgh and FIRST Night Pittsburgh, and organizing outreach at the USC Robotics Showcase. Additionally, TeraBridges designed the Upper St. Clair Robotics Club Elementary “Extra” program syllabus and mazes, which is used by elementary students across the district to learn about robotics and early programming skills.
TeraBridges is currently focusing on outreach related to assistive technology, inspired by a disabled local third grader using a mouth-controlled robotic device called a QuadStick to play video games. The team is partnering with Chatham University’s GOBabyGO Chapter to build and donate toy ride-on cars to children with disabilities. They are also collaborating with UPMC Rehabilitation Institute and Able Gamers to create 3D-printed adaptive switches to help individuals with disabilities.
Preparing for the World Championship
As TeraBridges prepares for the World Championship, the team is focused on enhancing their robot and embracing the experience of competing at an international level. They are excited to learn from other top teams, celebrate the global community of young engineers, and cheer on their fellow competitors.
A Thank You to Supporters
TeraBridges would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to their generous donors who supported them earlier in the season: Beitler Warehousing, FHL Bank Pittsburgh, St. Clair Health, The Schafer Family, KSG Orthodontics, and Arconic. Their financial contributions have been vital to the team’s success.
Additionally, TeraBridges is deeply grateful to the Upper St. Clair School District for providing a dedicated robotics space for all school FTC and FLL teams to meet and practice, which has been instrumental in their accomplishments.
