My Nonprofit Reviews

I first discovered FIRST when my son did FIRST LEGO LEAGUE in the fifth grade. He and his friends had so much fun, they went on to do the Penn State Fire Fighting competition on their own. When I began teaching (my second? career) a few years later, I brought his NXT equipment and other Lego supplies to the HS in Philadelphia where I taught math and science. There I initially set up a robotics club using the NXT equipment, but at the HS level we had aged out of the FLL competition. So back to Penn State we went. My all female minority team was spotted there and we received a grant to become the first FIRST Tech Challenge team in the city of Philadelphia!
I no longer teach in Philadelphia, but I am still involved because I believe this is one of the most supportive, amazing programs out there for all students - any age, any ability. The growth in confidence, the development of communication and collaboration skills, the embracing of core values and gracious professionalism inspire me every day. I now mentor 10+ teams from FLL through FRC, and work relentlessly to bring this program to others in my area.