FIRST Robotics competition is one of the many leading robotics competitions that FIRST, a global nonprofit organisation conducts. FRC offers students from grades 8 to 12 the opportunity to ideate, design, construct, and program robots from scratch.

Rookie sensation Team Paraducks has achieved a remarkable milestone by emerging as the Halic, Turkey Regional Champions along with team cyber unicorns and team archers from China and turkey respectively at this competition. The victory of their alliance not only marks a significant accomplishment but also secures them a coveted spot at the World Championship in Houston, where top robotics teams from around the globe will compete. Paraducks made history as the first Indian team to qualify for the Houston World Championship solely on the basis of their engineering prowess, all in their inaugural year. 

Receiving the “Excellence in Engineering Award” further validated their skill, honed through over 60 hours of programming and computer-aided design training.

Hailing from Mumbai, Team Paraducks comprises 20 students from nine different schools, all passionate about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). Their dedication to inclusivity and diversity is evident, with a commendable 45% female representation.

Paraducks impact extends beyond robotics. Their outreach efforts include pioneering FIRST Robotics in Sri Lanka, where they established and mentored three FTC teams. Additionally, they secured $20,000 in funding through crowdfunding and corporate partnerships, which went towards underserved communities in both Mumbai and Sri Lanka. First impacts children beyond just building robots; it encompasses learning life skills like effective communication, fundraising, collaboration, and creativity and therefore they strive to provide this opportunity to others.