Pink Titans exhibits at the Grand Opening of the new David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute12/10/2022 On December 10, 2022, the Pink Titans exhibited at the grand opening event of the new David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute. (Three years ago to the day in 2019, students moved into the current building from the former building. Because of the restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic, the official grand opening date was delayed for three years!) The Pink Titans showcased two robots that bridged the FIRST program between the former and new school: the 2019 robot, which competed before the pandemic, and the 2022 robot, which was constructed in the summer 2022 for off-season competitions at Robots@CNE, The STEMley Cup Championship, and Overtime Sunday.
As part of the grand opening of the school, the Pink Titans hopes to establish itself as a key program in the school for years to come. Attendees, including school alumni, teachers, administrators of the Toronto District School Board, and members of the greater community learned about how the Pink Titans engages students for success in high school and beyond.
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Pink Titans hosts the FIRST LEGO League Challenge David & Mary Thomson Qualifying Tournament12/3/2022 On December 3, 2022, the Pink Titans hosted the FIRST LEGO League Challenge David & Mary Thomson Qualifying Tournament, at David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Twenty-eight teams, including nine rookie teams, competed in this year's challenged, called SUPERPOWERED. The Volunteer Of The Year Award was earned by Julie Vander Meij, who was one of the event's volunteer coordinators. The Coach Mentor award was earned by Ms. Tatum of FLL Challenge team 41368 - Don Valley Dragon Bots. Congratulations to all teams for competing and celebrating the successes. Thanks FIRST Robotics Canada for the support and opportunity!
On November 26, 2022, the Pink Titans hosted the 2022 FIRST Tech Challenge, Central Scarborough Qualifier, at David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Twenty-three teams participated, including 10 rookie teams. In the finals, alliance seed one (FTC 21319, 16366, 16488) defeated alliance seed three (22101, 21908, 22035) in two straight matches to win the event. The Volunteer Appreciation Award was earned by Prakhar Garg, the event's judge advisor. The Inspire Award was earned by FTC 19531 - Radiant Robotics, from Leamington, Ontario. Congratulations to all teams for competing and celebrating successes.
Pink Titans showcase at Grade 8 Parents' Evening at David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute11/17/2022 On November 17, 2022, the Pink Titans showcased the team at the Grade 8 Parents' Evening, at David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute. The goal was showing prospective students and their parents that the FIRST Robotics program provides an invaluable opportunity for learning and growing success. The young students test-drove robots built by the Pink Titans - the 2019 FRC robot and the 2022 off-season robot. Hopefully the team will see the new students again in the future! Thanks, David & Mary Thomson C. I. for the opportunity!
Pink Titans recognized for team diversity and opportunities for equity in a MetaFilter weblog10/31/2022 On October 31, 2022, the Pink Titans were recognized for having "mostly girls from very diverse backgrounds who built a robot with giant googly eyes". The comment was written by a poster in a blog called MetaFilter.
The team was pleased to know that the recognition of diversity and equity was made by members of the community. The vision of the team is "Pink of the Possibilities: New members are welcomed. All members participate with hope and optimism. All members feel comfortable to try and learn new things, take risks, and discover what is possible for the consideration of further pursuits of interests". In addition to competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition, the team continually aims to instill excitement and enthusiasm for learning by all students. When more individuals from diverse backgrounds contribute, then more diverse knowledge bases, experiences, and perspectives are shared. This results in a competitive robot product that holistically satisfies more people. By allowing more diverse students participate in the FIRST Robotics programs, the hope is more diverse students pursue STEM-focused careers. As STEM professionals, they can practice FIRST Canada's core values of equity, diversity, inclusion; Coopertition, and Gracious Professionalism. By doing so, the professionals can produce more products that holistically satisfies more people in improving the living conditions in the future world.
On October 29 and 30, 2022, the Pink Titans competed at The STEMley Cup Championship and Overtime Sunday, held at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario. Most of the students on the team were brand new to the FIRST experience after the pandemic. Although the size of the team was very small, the Pink Titans persevered and competed to help the alliances. The Pink Titans sincerely thank Matt, Brendan, Chris, Michelle, Tyler, and other students who spent time with the team to help improve the robot and teach the fundamentals of wiring.
On Overtime Sunday, the Pink Titans earned the Goal Tender Award with the best defensive robot. Many sincerely thanks to the mentors and students of FRC teams 4039 and 5406 for hosting, plus volunteering their time and energy to provide an excellent experience.
On October 11, 2022, the Pink Titans mentored grade five girls on coding and building hand-held robots, called mBots, at Grenoble Public School. The students learned to program, via Scratch, the robots to be controlled by the keyboards, make sounds upon moving, and dance. To help recognize the International Day of the Girl Child, the Pink Titans led a workshop on empowering girls in science. The students drew pictures of females in the roles of scientists, then discussed the common perception of scientists in the media. Thanks, Ms. Tran, Ms. Ly, and Ms. Ty-Holland for the opportunity!
In 2022 and 2023, two graduates of the Pink Titans were members of the executive team for the Women In Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Asma, studying computer engineering, was the Professional Development Operations Director for WISE. (In past years, Asma was the High School Outreach Director.) Nasoe, studying industrial engineering, was the High School Outreach Director for WISE. The Pink Titans are very proud of Asma and Nasoe for their continued interest in promoting their excitement and enthusiasm for STEM to more people. Best wishes this year!
From September 2 to 4, 2022, the Pink Titans competed at the annual Robots@CNE off-season competition. It took place in the Enercare Centre on the last weekend of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The event was the first in-person FRC event for the Pink Titans since 2019; after then, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Pink Titans participation in person from 2020 to 2022.
The students were new to the FIRST experience. For eight weeks in July and August, the students mostly followed the design, build, and program of the 2022 Everybot design, kindly provided by FRC 118 - Robonauts. The fact that the students volunteered their entire summer break to prepare for competition at the Robots@CNE showed the students' interest in the FRC program. The students built and programmed the robot to pick up a ball from the ground, then score the ball into the lower hub. In the last 30 seconds of the match, the robot was designed to climb the mid-rung in the Hangar. Because the team didn't compete officially in the 2022 FRC season, the Pink Titans were designed team number 9991. The team scored balls into the lower hub, which really excited the students. The team sincerely wishes to thank the mentors and students of FRC 5406 - Celt-X and FRC 3683 - Team DAVE for their time and support in repairing the climbing mechanism and loaning a NEO motor. The Pink Titans were the second selection for the third alliance; thanks captain FRC 7480 - Machine Mavericks and FRC 1325 - Inverse Paradox. The Pink Titans played defensively, helping the alliance to advance to the semi-finals. Thanks FIRST Robotics Canada, FRC teams 1334 - Red Devils and 1374 - Amped Up!, plus the CNE's Gaming Garage for the opportunity to participate again in the FRC! On July 27, 2022, the Pink Titans coached grade four students on coding with Sphero BOLTs, as part of the summer learning hub program at David & Mary Thomson C. I. The grade four students were enrolled in the Literacy, Numeracy, and Leadership Program. The students learned and applied block-coding to control the Sphero BOLT in navigating through a maze. The process reinforces math concepts in measuring speed, time, and angles.
On July 19 and 26, 2022, the Pink Titans coached 60 grade eight students on coding and building hand-held robots with mBots, as part of the summer learning hub program at David & Mary Thomson C. I. The grade eight students were enrolled in the reach ahead program. The students learned and applied block-coding to control the mBot with the keypad and respond to lights. The process reinforces skills in tactile coordination and problem-solving,
On June 4, 2022, two members of the Pink Titans participated at FIRST Canada's Girls and Allies Youth Summit, at The Kingsbridge Centre in King City, Ontario. Students from FIRST Robotics Competition teams from across Ontario participated. The students met new peers, learned from mentors about achieving success and managing life's challenges, plus applied skills in communication and team work. Below is a testimonial from one of the members:
I really enjoyed the event. I enjoyed the team building exercises with fellow peers: We thought of a problem relating to autonomous vehicles, designed a product to help solve the problem, and organized a business pitch for the product. We got advice from five women in engineering, plus learned about their personal journeys and struggles being women and women of colour in STEM. Afterwards, we received one-on-one time with six experienced industry professionals for networking. I learned about the importance of participating in extracurriculars such as internships, as well as taking care of your mental and physical health during school. We ended the day with another team building activity where we bought and sold imitation stocks. I was able to practice and improve on communication and teamwork skills, which I think will be useful in every area of my life, especially in academic areas such as our robotics team. Overall, I had an amazing experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity because I learned a lot of useful skills to help me succeed. Thanks, FIRST Canada and all the volunteers, for exemplifying and supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the community. Thanks for providing the amazing opportunity! On May 18, 2022, the Pink Titans showcased the 2019 FRC robot at Grade 8 Open House at David & Mary Thomson C. I. Future grade 9 students at the school test-drove the robot. Parents and guardians asked questions about the FIRST program at the school and its benefits for students.
On May 17, 2022, the Pink Titans were recognized for their resourcefulness in providing information about the VEX Robotics Competition (VRC). The webpage about the VRC was linked by a poster at the vexforum.com, the official forum for the VRC.
The Pink Titans strive to practice the values of FIRST Canada, including the transfer and knowledge of skills. As well, practicing Gracious Professionalism includes helping other competitive teams improve, despite them possibly being competitors in the future! When all participants on all robotics teams improve their knowledge and skills, the participants gain a more satisfying and rewarding experience. A world that is becoming larger is also becoming more competitive for similar resources. In a larger world comes more diversity. This is a strength as more diverse ideas results in more creative ways to solve challenges. When more of us share by adding our ideas from difference backgrounds and experiences, we obtain a product that holistically benefits more people by providing a richer, satisfying life. Wed. Apr. 13, 2022 was the International Day of Pink. To help promote the awareness of this day in support of diverse and inclusive communities, the Pink Titans sold pink t-shirts for $15 each. A portion of the proceeds will go to YouthLink, a local organization supporting youth. Over three days, a total of 40 t-shirts were sold to staff at David & Mary Thomson C. I., the school site of the Pink Titans. The Pink Titans thanks everybody for their support of the message, that "together, we are powerful" and nobody needs to overcome challenges alone.
On Sat. Dec. 11, 2021, the Pink Titans hosted the FIRST LEGO League - Challenge Toronto Remote Qualifying Event. Twenty-three teams, including 11 rookie teams, from across Ontario participated. The remote format required teams to upload videos of their matches days before the showcase on Sat. Dec. 4. On that day, teams were judges via Zoom call. Nine of the teams advanced to the Ontario Provincial Championships. Congratulations to all teams and thanks FIRST Canada for the opportunity.
On Sat. Dec. 4, 2021, the Pink Titans hosted the FIRST Tech Challenge - Toronto Remote Qualifying Event. Fifteen teams, including 10 rookie teams, from across Ontario participated. The remote format required teams to upload videos of their matches and the engineering notebook days before the showcase on Sat. Dec. 4. On that day, teams were judges via Zoom call. Congratulations to all teams and thanks FIRST Canada for the opportunity.
Today, students new to the Pink Titans robotics team began the journey of learning Java programming. The teacher, Marwa Safa, is a graduate of David & Mary Thomson C. I. and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Marwa is currently a software developer, working with BMO. Ten students, mostly grade 9s new to high school-level programming, downloaded the Eclipse and JDK software. Afterwards, the students typed a simple code. The students are excited to be learning Java and thankful to Marwa. The students can't wait until next week for more programming lessons; thanks, Marwa for your time and help!
Aaditya, a graduated student from the Pink Titans in 2020, was featured in the Teacher Spotlight of the latest newsletter for the DataWiz Academy of Data Science. (It's an Ontario accredited private school for teaching data science, offering computer science credits, after-school programs, and summer camps.) Aaditya has been employed part-time on the weekends as an programming and robotics instructor. Aaditya is completing his first year in Computer Science program at the University of Toronto. However, he makes robotics education a part of his schedule. The Pink Titans are very proud of Aaditya for his continued leadership role and passion for teaching younger students.
On October 25, 2019, the Pink Titans mentored girls of the Girls' Equity Group at Eastview Public School. The girls learned to build an mBot, plus program it to be controlled by the keyboard, avoid obstacles, and dance to music. Miigwech Ms. Howie, Mr. Power, Principal Clarke, and Vice-Principal Brown for the opportunity!
On October 20, 2019, the Pink Titans exhibited at Girl Expo Canada. Visitors were able to control the shoot the 2019 competition robot by shooting the cargo ball into the scoring bin. As well, the Pink Titans introduced visitors on coding the mBots. Thanks very much Allison Cepler, Kim Cooper, and CanCode for the opportunity!
Pink Titans celebrate the UN's International Day of the Girl Child with Three Valleys Public School10/11/2019
On October 11, 2019, the United Nation's International Day of the Girl Child, the Pink Titans mentored 46 Grades 4 and 5 girls from Three Valleys Public School. The girls built and programmed mBots to follow a light, react to obstances, dance to music. Thanks Ms. Tran for the opportunity to celebrate with your students!
Pink Titans coach Grade 4 girls from Chester PS on building and programming hand-held robots9/26/2019
On Sept. 26, 2019, the Pink Titans coached Grades 4/5 students from Chester Public School. The students build mBots and programmed them to react to obstacles, plus dance to music. Thank you Ms. Khakoo for the opportunity!
On Sept. 24, 2019, Mr. Kim graciously accepted the invitation to attend a board meeting dinner of the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma (KCCL). He summarized the successful year of the Pink Titans Robotics with much thanks to the gracious sponsorship of the KCCL. Mr. Kim presented President Francisco Coccimiglio with a plaque acknowledging the team's appreciation of the sponsorship. The Pink Titans hopes to have represented the KCCL proudly and looks forward to the continued partnership in the future.
On July 10, 2019, the Pink Titans participated in the Reopening of College Park, located southwest of the intersection at Yonge and College Streets in Toronto. Attendees test-drive the robot, picked up soft playground balls, then tossed them into scoring bins. Austin, an alumnus of the Pink Titans, spoke to parents interested in enrolling their children in the FIRST programs. Thanks Cheryll for the opportunity!
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December 2023
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