Championship Robotics Team Mentors Local Youth at The Helm
A state champion robotics team from Bellevue, Washington, is bringing its talent and tech know-how to the South Beach. Team FTC 18225 “High Definition” is mentoring the new Robotics Club at The Helm, Westport’s youth community center, with a special presentation for Ocosta Elementary and Jr./Sr. High students this Friday, April 11.
The goal? To inspire local kids to get curious about STEM and maybe even join the club. And this isn’t just any robotics crew—Team High Definition, made up of 15 students in grades 8–12, are Washington State Champions and currently ranked #4 in the country.
Wait, What’s The Helm?
The Helm is located at 203 S. Montesano Street (across from the library)
The Helm is a local youth center offering after-school programs for South Beach youth ages 6–16. It’s run by the nonprofit Maiden Voyage, founded by Andrea Mirante, who spent 7 years as the Director of After School Programming at Ocosta.
The Helm’s programs tackle real challenges in our community—like limited educational access, economic hardship, and high dropout rates—by offering engaging, hands-on learning opportunities. Kids can dive into everything from Drone Club and Robotics to running the South Beach News Network. It’s all part of the South Beach Explorers Program, which focuses on mentorship, STEM education, maritime heritage, academic achievement, career readiness, and community engagement.
Maiden Voyage’s mission is to foster a diverse and inclusive environment where local youth can thrive.
First Lego League Program
The robotics club meets on Wednesday afternoons at The Helm
The after-school Robotics Club is built around the FIRST Lego League program, where students learn to build and program their own robots from the ground up. For many kids, it’s their first experience working with tech like this—but it’s about more than just coding and circuits.
“We're not just teaching robotics,” says Elaine Zhang, High Definition’s lead coordinator. “We're showing these kids that they belong in the tech world—that their ideas matter, no matter where they come from.”
Andrea Mirante says partnering with the team felt like a stroke of luck. “This championship robotics team was looking for kids to mentor,” she says. “They donated two robotics kits and the full curriculum. Now our goal is to help local students level up so they can start competing next fall.”
And it’s already making waves. “Every meeting is fun,” says Wyatt, a young member of the club. “But we need more teammates! Being on the team helped me understand how technology works—and it feels awesome when we finish a robot together!”
Investing in the Next Generation
With the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, headlines can sound a little scary—“AI Taking Over Jobs,” “Robots Replacing Humans.” That may leave the next generation wondering how they will fit in the workforce. It will be different, but that’s where programs like this one come in. By teaming up with students, mentors, and community partners, Maiden Voyage and Team High Definition are helping local kids become not just consumers of tech—but creators.
To learn more about the robotics program available through Maiden Voyage and FTC 18225 High Definition, contact ftc18225@gmail.com or emeraldcoastcommunications@gmail.com.