Amazing Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Robotics Team Win NYC Lego Championship, On Way To World Championship Next Week With Plan For Asteroid To Mars - Honored By NY State Senator Jose Serrano With Achievement Certificate And Cited As Shining Example To All Young Women Interested In Robotics

As reported last March 18, Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Troop 3001 Tech Hoppers Robotics Team were the winners in the First Lego League NYC Robotics Championship. Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov reported at the time:

We are all still in a state of shock!! We did indeed win the NYC First LEGO League Robotics tournament today! The top two teams in NYC go to the World Championships in Detroit - It's pretty amazing!! The girls did such an amazing job!!

Last Wednesday evening April 17, during the Tech Hoppers final practice at Cornell Tech's Tata Innovation Center before heading off to the First World Championship Competition in Detroit, Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano met with the Tech Hoppers team,

listened to their competition presentation on Flying An Asteroid To Mars and honored the Tech Hoppers with a Certificate Of Achievement.

According to this statement from Senator Serrano's office:

... Senator Serrano will be honoring Girl Scout Troop 3001's the Tech Hoppers, for their achievements in robotics and their first place victory in the FIRST Lego League New York City Championship. Next week, the troop is proudly headed to the worldwide FIRST Championship in Detroit, the world’s largest celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for students. The team of nine girls in the 6th and 7th grades, meets weekly at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island, where they are mentored and coached by Cornell students and staff. In its four years, the troops robotics program has involved over 15 Girl Scouts and has never turned a girl away because of need or experience.

"As a supporter of empowering girls and women to enter STEM fields, I am very proud of the Roosevelt Island Tech Hoppers," said Senator Serrano. "They serve as a wonderful example to other young students interested in robotics, and regardless of the outcome at the world championship, they have already accomplished a tremendous achievement."

and from social media.

Today I had the privilege of visiting the @girlscoutsnyc @nycfirst #TechHoppers at @cornell_tech #RooseveltIsland as they head to the World Championship in Detroit! They’re a shining example to all young women interested in robotics and #STEM. I’m so proud of their amazing work! pic.twitter.com/vcx57ID9Vu

— Sen. Jose M. Serrano (@SenatorSerrano) April 18, 2019

“I have a tremendous amount of pride in all of you. You should aim high.” @SenatorSerrano visits @cornell_tech and our @girlscoutsnyc @nycfirst #TechHoppers as they get ready for the World Championship in Detroit. They got certificates. He got cookies 🍪 pic.twitter.com/zeHdBrLIXH

— Diane Levitt (@diane_levitt) April 17, 2019

Here's the Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Tech Hoppers practice presentation proposing their solution to the radiation problem for astronauts traveling to Mars - use an asteroid as the transportation vehicle

Here's State Senator Serrano's presentation of Achievement Certificates to the Tech Hoppers Team.



Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov adds:

I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of our supporters -

Cornell Tech for providing the team with an amazing space, coaches and mentors – in particular, Diane Levitt and Samara Rose Selden and Cornell Tech mentors Jillian Burns, Natalie Abrams and Jivesh Tolani!

Nathalie and Ilan from Dr. Wu's lab at Cornell Tech

Talya Stein, Anne Goodfriend and Yoav Friedland from FIRST Lab for providing a welcoming space for us to practice on weekends!

Mike Sorrenti from SpaceX for mentoring and inspiring the girls on all things space-related!

Norm Sutaria and Lisa Cai from NYC FIRST

Girl Scouts of Greater New York - Abby Whipker, CEO Meredith Maskara and the Council's fabulous fundraising team, for supporting the team and sending us to Detroit!

We couldn't have accomplished so much without all of this incredible support!!

Roosevelt Island parents -

This is our local RI Girl Scout team and we are heading to Detroit next week!!! Our wonderful Girl Scout council is fundraising to pay for the entire trip!!! If you can support the team, please consider a tax deductible donation to our council!

You can follow us while we’re there on Instagram at techhoppers.

I am so proud of how hard these girls have worked!!!

If anyone is a parent of a girl that would like to be a coach next year - please reach out to me. Our incredible coach with these amazing girls want to mentor a new team next year!!

From the Girl Scouts of Greater NY:

Since 2011, Girl Scout Robotics has become an important component of our suite of STEM programs. We’re thrilled to announce that for the first time, one of our talented teams will compete in the world championships!

The Tech Hoppers of Troop 3001 won the NYC FIRST Lego League Robotics Tournament and have advanced to the international FIRST Lego League World Championships in Detroit!

After years of hard work, the Tech Hoppers from Roosevelt Island will join tens of thousands of students, educators, and STEM industry professionals at a multi-day competition this month. We could not be more proud!

We are working to raise $25,000 to send the Tech Hoppers to the Championship, and we hope friends like you will invest in these young engineers.

Will you make a gift to send this talented team to Detroit?...

Congrats to the Roosevelt Island Girls Scouts Tech Hoppers team for your achievements to date. Roosevelt Island is rooting for you in the Championships. Good Luck.

NYC First STEM Center Summer Program On Roosevelt Island For Middle School Students - Learn 2 & 3D Design/Fabrication, Laser Cutting, 3D Printers & More

NYC First CEO Michael Zygman reports:

NYC FIRST, one of the largest K-12 STEM education organizations in New York City, runs immersive, hands on robotics and STEM education programs that serve 7,000 students annually. We have been running our programs for nearly 20 years in New York City, and we are proud to have our first STEM Center in the city here on Roosevelt Island.

I wanted to let you know about an opportunity for Roosevelt Islanders that NYC FIRST is hosting this summer at our STEM Center, at 544 Main Street.

We're running three week-long summer courses from July 16 - August 3 for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders at a discounted price of $200 per week due to the generous support of our donors.

This program is a good opportunity for middle school students to learn about 2D and 3D design and fabrication, as well as physical computing, and to have them learn how to use laser cutters and 3D printers, among a range of other equipment at the STEM Center. You can learn more about our Summer Program here:

For questions from anyone who is interested, please feel free to email us at summer@nycfirst.org

Click here for more info on NYC First STEM Center which will be moving from current temporary location at 544 Main Street to the Cornell Tech campus in September.

Also, NYC First is:

... seeking Mentors to offer guidance to our students during open hours at the Roosevelt Island location. We are specifically looking volunteers who can offer 1-3 hours of their time each week and are regularly available one day a week (Tuesday - Friday) between 4pm and 7pm.

Responsibilities would include helping to monitor the space while offering your skills to help students with personal projects.

Mr. Zygman described the Roosevelt Island NYC First Stem Center during an Open House last January.



Check out NYC First Summer STEM program here.

Here's more on the



First STEM program.

Families & K-8 Students Invited To Roosevelt Island Community Night Stem Activities Fair Thursday Night June 7 - Ignite My Future Program Presented By Tata Consultancy, Discovery Education & Cornell Tech

The Cornell Tech Tata Innovation Center is hosting a Roosevelt Island Community Night STEM Activities Fair on Thursday June 7 from 6 - 8 PM. Families and K-8 students are invited. Please RSVP here to attend.

Please join Tata Consultancy Services, Discovery Education, and Cornell Tech for Community Night STEM Activities Fair Drones, Games and More!

All Roosevelt Island families and K-8 students are invited.

Register here.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Cornell Tech – Tata Innovation Center 11 East Loop Road New York, NY 10044

According to this September 2017 press release announcing the start of Ignite My Future program:

Tata Consultancy Services, a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the launch of Ignite My Future in School. This a first-of-its-kind, multi-million dollar initiative leverages computational thinking and new teaching resources as a catalyst to transform the way K-12 students learn across America.

Recognizing the importance of computational thinking as a foundational skill, Ignite My Future in School has a goal of engaging 20,000 teachers and one million U.S. students by 2021. As a first step towards this goal, TCS and Discovery Education also announced that 10 U.S. school systems – with more than 6,700 teachers and 194,000 students – joined the effort as early adopters of this transdisciplinary approach....

More info on Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education Ignite My Future program in videos below.





and on the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech's Roosevelt Island campus.

"The Tata Innovation Center is the physical embodiment of what Cornell Tech is all about” says @cornell_tech’s Dean Dan Huttenlocher. The Tata Innovation Center will bring different industries under one roof, and will spark new ideas that will create a better digital future. pic.twitter.com/563Vm8ybsm

— The Bridge (@BridgeAtCornell) March 7, 2018

RSVP here to the Roosevelt Island Community Night STEM Activities Fair on Thursday June 7 from 6 - 8 PM at the Tata Innovation Center.

Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Lego League Robotics Team Win Award For Innovative Solution To Combined Sewer Overflow Problem With Support From Cornell Tech Faculty And Students

Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov reports:

Our troop’s robotics team was featured in a special video at the Girl Scouts of Greater New York Gala at Cipriani on Monday evening! Several of the Girl Scouts on the team attended the Gala and showcased the robot and their project. We hope you enjoy the video and if you see the Tech Hoppers around the island - encourage them to keep coding!

Cornell Tech Director of K - 12 Education Diane Levitt tweets:

Watch the story of the #TechHoppers, the #RooseveltIsland @GirlScoutsNYC robotics troop sponsored by @cornell_tech. We loved having these amazing young women on our campus every week. Can't wait for next year! @girlscouts @SylviaAcevedo @lathamwatkins https://t.co/P6Ev2OkRF4

— Diane Levitt (@diane_levitt) May 2, 2018

and shares the video of Roosevelt Island's Tech Hoppers Girl Scouts Troop 3001.



Ms Eleusizov adds:

The Tech Hoppers would like to express our sincere appreciation to Cornell Tech and Girl Scouts of Greater New York for their generous support of Roosevelt Island’s Girl Scout Troop 3001’s FIRST Lego League Robotics team this season! Their support has helped these girls have an amazing STEM experience this year! They earned third place overall in the qualifiers and won an award for their creative presentation made by the team about their innovative solution to solving the problem of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) - which gave them a spot in the NY Citywide finals!

Cornell Tech provided an amazing motivational workspace for the girls at the Maker’s Lab at Cornell Tech. often there were Cornell grad students there working on projects at the same time - and the Girl Scouts were inspired by hearing about their cool high tech projects. They printed Cornell Tech and Girl-Scout inspired sweatshirts for the girls and helped them design and make their own light-up “Grace Hopper” headbands and hosted a fun tech end of the year celebration/party! Cornell Tech also generously sponsored Lego missions and robot supplies such as extra sensors to help the girls to build an amazing robot and program it to achieve its missions.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Diane Levitt, Senior Director of K-12 Education for Cornell Tech - she sacrificed her Wednesday evenings from September to March to support our team, allowing them to meet in the Maker Lab. She also led many awesome STEM learning activities and found incredibly patient student mentors for our budding engineers.

Jivesh Tolani, an MBA student at Cornell Tech, mentored the girls weekly since September - teaching not only our girls to code their robot to solve missions, but also mentoring other Girl Scout robotics teams in other parts of NYC. His dedication to the team was so appreciated.

Thanks to Niti Parikh, director of the MakerLAB, who let us use the lab all semester and leave our large table with lego missions in the middle of the lab all season!

Falana Ash joined us in the MakerLab when Diane wasn’t available and did the ordering of supplies and sweatshirts to make sure we had everything we needed for the girls to do their best.

Technologist in Residence Benedetta Simeonidis and David Gibbs, taught the girls about circuits and helped them make light- up Grace Hopper hats.

Cornell students and staff helped the girls further develop their idea for a new type of rainwater harvesting tank - and prepare a “Shark Tank” style presentation for the Global Innovation Award.

Steve Noone from the Cornell Tech capital planning team walked the girls around the campus and explained how the campus was built to manage water - inspiring the girls to come up with a solution to help solve the problem of Combined Sewer Overflow.

Thank you Cornell Tech and Girl Scouts of Greater New York!

Congrats to Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Robotics Team.

Great job and keep coding!!!!!.

Scenes From Yesterday's NYC First Roosevelt Island STEM Center Open House - Future STEM Programs For Roosevelt Island Community Including Kids And Adults May Be Coming

As reported last November:

... NYC First will be taking space in Roosevelt Landings temporarily. NYC First runs educational programming related to STEM including robotics classes and competitions for youth. They will be in our space through the spring when they will take a permanent space in the Cornell Tech campus....

Yesterday, NYC First hosted a STEM Center Open House,

inviting Roosevelt Island residents

of all ages

to learn about

robotics, 3d printing and more at the new STEM Center.

NYC First CEO Michael Zigman welcomed Roosevelt Island residents describing the new facility as:

... This space is the first of what we hope to be many spaces across New York City. Kind of like a Maker Space. We have a broader vision of what it could be but this is our first.

We came to the Island for a bunch of reasons but the Cornell Tech relationship was an important one for us to put a stake in the ground here.

We want to do more with the community. We're trying to figure that out. We run programs at the High School Level, several high schools we're working with, but we want to think more expansively of working with the community around us - ideally kids and adults....

.. Bare with us as we're figuring it out. We got into this space in the last couple of months. We've been setting it up. It's just about set up. There are a a couple of pieces of machinery that we are still waiting on.

As soon as everything is in here, we can be a little more forward thinking in how to work with you all....

Take a tour of the NYC First Roosevelt Island STEM Center temporarily located on Main Street until it move to permanent home on Cornell Tech campus..



More info on NYC First programs available at their web site.

You're Invited To NYC First Roosevelt Island STEM Center Open House Sunday Afternoon, January 28 - Come Learn About Robotics, 3D Printing & More

NYC First is hosting a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics) Open House for Roosevelt Island residents of all ages:

JOIN US FOR THE NYC FIRST STEM CENTER OPEN HOUSE

NYC FIRST STEM Center

544 Main Street

Sunday, January 28th 1pm - 4pm

Are you curious about what is happening in this space?

Now is your chance to explore, make and learn during the NYC FIRST STEM Center Open House! Please join us on Sunday, January 28th from 1 pm - 4 pm. You can laser cut keychains, cut vinyl stickers, and 3D print pins. Our high school robotics teams will also be showing off their robots (you might even be able to drive one) and the projects they are working on.

PLEASE JOIN US - NO RSVP NEEDED. FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE!

As reported last November:

... NYC First will be taking space in Roosevelt Landings temporarily. NYC First runs educational programming related to STEM including robotics classes and competitions for youth. They will be in our space through the spring when they will take a permanent space in the Cornell Tech campus....

Welcome NYC First to Roosevelt Island.

More info on NYC First available at their web site.

Roosevelt Island Retail Update - First NYC Taking Temporary Main Street Space For STEM & Robotics Educational Programming Before Moving Into Permanent Home At Cornell Tech Campus

Roosevelt Island retail update.

A tipster reported yesterday seeing work being done inside one of the long empty Roosevelt Island storefronts at 544 Main Street. The Tipster learned that the new tenant to occupy the space will offer STEM (Science, Technology Engineering & Mathematics), 3D printing and advanced technology educational programming.

I asked Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder Hudson Related about the new tenant.  Hudson Companies representative Alex Kaplan replied:

NYC First will be taking space in Roosevelt Landings temporarily. NYC First runs educational programming related to STEM including robotics classes and competitions for youth. They will be in our space through the spring when they will take a permanent space in the Cornell Tech campus. We think it will be a nice temporary use and compliment the Music & Play Station across the street.

Image From Official First You Tube Video

First New York City is:

... a regional office of FIRST®, the 501c3 nonprofit organization created to inspire youth to pursue further studies and careers in science and technology and to help students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the technologically-driven global economy.

FIRST® programs all share two basic components:

• engagement of students in the creative, hands-on, minds-on process of technological innovation; and
• bringing communities together to celebrate the achievements of kids working smart in science and technology.

Participation in FIRST® has a positive impact on the lives of students, increasing college attendance, majors in science and engineering, participation in internships and co-ops, and involvement in community service.

Reported in February 2017, that the Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Troop 3001 Roaring Lions team finished third and reached the semi-finals in NYC First Lego Robotics competition.



Welcome to Roosevelt Island, First New York City.

More information on First New York City available at their web site.

Sue's Tech Kitchen Coming To Roosevelt Island - Dining Meets Entertainment Meets Tech Education Holiday Spectacular For The Whole Family At The Bridge On Cornell Tech Campus

Sue's Tech Kitchen Tour is coming to Roosevelt Island at The Bridge building on the Cornell Tech campus.

❄️ Baby it's CODE outside ❄️ Join us this holiday season for a very special Holiday #SpecTECHular at @BridgeAtCornell! 🍬🤖🍬 The party starts 11/25! Get all the info here: https://t.co/NlnrZPjZ8y pic.twitter.com/9POH5267SP

— Sue's Tech Kitchen (@suestechkitchen) November 13, 2017

According to this press release from Sue's Tech Kitchen:

Randi Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, is bringing her family-friendly, tech-infused, “snack-hacking” concept Sue’s Tech Kitchen (STK) to New York City for BETA testing just in time for the holiday season. The Holiday SpecTECHular will launch on November 25 at New York City’s brand new tech hub, The Bridge at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island. The creator of the award-winning children’s show Dot. brings an interactive, immersive, puzzle-solving spectacle for all ages that encourages a healthy relationship with technology and inspires kids to embrace STEM skills.

Sue’s Tech Kitchen will revolutionize family fun, allowing guests of all ages to engage with cutting-edge technology and each other. Guests of Sue’s Tech Kitchen will experience interactive STEM-inspired holiday attractions, like candy coding, 3D printed treats, liquid nitrogen desserts and silent science discos. Littlstar will power the Sue's Tech Kitchen’s Virtual Reality Corner, featuring Raising a Ruckus, the first episode of a new VR animated series, and a variety of immersive NBA experiences. Sue’s Tech Kitchen will also feature guest appearances, special performances, and STEM lessons from “Sue’s Chefs,” as well as introduce guests to Randi’s favorite techie holiday gifts from Presenting Partners Foodstirs, Tech Will Save Us, Thursday Finest, Piper, Primo Toys and more.

Conceptualized by Zuckerberg and designed by a team of tech experts, engineers, and scientists, Sue’s Tech Kitchen features technologies from all corners of the modern imagination, empowering kids and adults to engage with tomorrow’s technologies. Guests will be immersed in a futuristic technology experience all while enjoying surprise appearances, performances and a STEM-inspired holiday market. Guests will enjoy this BETA experience by getting a taste of what Sue’s Tech Kitchen has in store in the coming months and years as it continues to expand.

“After the success of our “Beta Taste” in Chattanooga earlier this year, we knew we had something very special with Sue’s Tech Kitchen,” says Sue’s Tech Kitchen creator, Randi Zuckerberg. “As a mother myself, I’m always looking for places to bring my children that will be fun and enriching for everyone. I couldn’t wait to bring Sue’s Tech Kitchen to New York City to share it with my own family and all families. New York City is such a magical place during the holiday season that it was the obvious choice for our next stop. We can’t wait to share in all the fun and excitement this winter and bring families together in a creative way. ”

The press release continues:

Read more »