The Highlander Robotics Team 8033’s SPARK fundraiser is taking place on Friday, Jan. 26, from 7 – 9 p.m. at a lovely central Piedmont home. Enjoy a talk by a local tech luminary that is sure to spark conversation while you enjoy delicious wine and food. This event directly supports Piedmont’s Highlander Robotics Team 8033, a program designed to empower young people to be leaders in STEM.
We are thrilled to feature Bryan Cantrill whose talk “Intelligence Is Not Enough” about AI and ethics addresses a timely topic for parents of kids interested in STEM. Cantrill is a software engineer who has spent over a quarter of a century at the hardware/software interface. He is the co-founder and CTO of Oxide Computer Company, the creator of the world’s first commercial cloud computer. Formerly CTO of Joyent and Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems, Cantrill is a sought-after speaker in the tech industry for his ability to colorfully connect strong values to current best practice. As scoutmaster of Piedmont’s Troop 1, he is also committed to leadership formation of our youth.
About our team: Highlander Robotics Team 8033 was founded in 2019 to provide access to engineering through competitive robotics for high school students in Piedmont and nearby Bay Area communities. Our student-led approach is designed to empower our youth to become leaders in the growth of STEM education while advocating for gender parity in tech. We are role models in our community by embracing a culture of excellence and innovation in a fun and collaborative environment.
8033 is the capstone robotics program for the largest community-based FIRST league in the country, organized by Piedmont Makers. We partner with Piedmont Unified and our homebase is in the Mary G. Ross engineering lab at Piedmont High. We are the only competitive community-based FRC team in a 25-mile radius and we now have team members from 15 high schools who otherwise would not be able to participate in FIRST Robotics Competitions. Beyond access to the robust network of Bay Area FIRST FRC teams, we provide hands-on experience with our lab equipment and technology; engagement with expert mentors and speakers from STEM companies; and opportunities for field trips to leading companies.
Because we are a community-based team, we do not receive any funding from a school, meaning that we have to raise our budget ourselves. Our goal is to cover half of our $80K annual budget from contributions from our community and from corporate donations. We hope you will join us for SPARK and help us ensure this valuable program thrives for current and future young people interested in STEM!
Tickets for our fundraiser are limited and can be purchased through our website www.frc8033.com or at Eventbrite. Wines have been graciously donated by Wente wines.
Questions? Contact Larraine at lms@larraineseiden.com or Natalia natferretti@gmail.com