Sponsors & Collaborators
About Our Team.
Founded by Nicole Avshalumova and Masha Efimovich in 2023, Team 23463 (SITHS Mercury) is a robotics team based at Staten Island Technical High School, a public specialized high school in Staten Island, New York City. It includes fifteen students from Staten Island Technical High School and two mentors who are also teachers at Tech.
As a team, SITHS Mercury is part of a larger organization called FIRST Tech Challenge (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Aligned with FIRST’s mission, Team 23463 aims to address current civic and humanitarian issues via innovative projects that engage and encourage our community to participate in STEM. In this environment, students are encouraged to develop skills in programming, mechanical and electrical engineering, graphic design, technical writing, website development, and life. With this acquired knowledge, our team seeks to excel in the FIRST Tech Challenge and inspire others to pursue STEM professions.
What Is FIRST?
Established in 1989, Dean Kamen founded the Not-for-profit organization, “FIRST.” It is an international organization with three competition types: FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST LEGO League Discover, and FIRST Tech Challenge Competition. The purpose of its establishment is to prepare and inspire young people to pursue the STEM field and create the future of their imagination. Through competitions, it has helped youth develop core values in conducting research, fundraising, designing, coding, building, and, most importantly, embodying gracious professionalism (friendly sportsmanship) to create the most high-quality work.