Colonie Team 250 recently competed in the New York Tech Valley Regional Competition, held March 26 - 29, 2025 – at MVP Arena in Albany, where they showcased their skills in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). This prestigious event brought together 54 teams from across the U.S., including participants Canada and Turkey.

During the competition, Colonie Chamber of Commerce President Tom Nolte presented a donation to support Colonie and Shaker High School Robotics Teams. This contribution will help support the team with future participation in FRC, which challenges students to design, build, and program industrial-size robots to compete in complex field games.

Training  for the competition involved designing the robot based on set competition criteria, manufacturing the robot's parts, and programming the code that powers the robot. 

“The skills these students develop through robotics—problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking—are invaluable for their future success,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry. “Competitions like the Tech Valley Regional provide an incredible opportunity for them to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting, and we are proud of all they have accomplished.”

Students interacted with judges, explaining and defending their concepts, while collaborating with other teams on strategies. They scouted opponents and learned to work together in alliances to compete against other robot teams. 

“Hundreds of hours of preparation are invested in these competitions each year,” Perry added.

With this generous support and their experience at the Tech Valley Regional, Team 250 is well-positioned to continue growing, competing, and inspiring future engineers and innovators.