Our Mission
To educate and inspire young people to become leaders in engineering, technology, and business by providing a premium experience through exploratory and competitive robotics programs.
Est. 2018

Community Support

STMA Robotics is a qualified non-profit (EIN 84-3854964) and we receive no funding or financial support from the school district. Our programs are expected to serve 125+ primary and secondary students annually. We do collect modest student fees for our programs, but we have a commitment to make sure every student has a chance to participate, regardless of their status or background. STMA Robotics relies on team fundraising events and business sponsorships to close the massive gaps in funding.

Team Member Benefits

Students collaborate with mentors and coaches, who provide valuable knowledge about business and engineering. Our mentors are successful real-world industry professionals, and our coaches have 17 years of combined FIRST® Robotics Competition experience. This collaboration leads to the development of skills that students can carry forth into life beyond high school. They solve real-world challenges, foster teamwork, unleash creativity, and develop essential skills by designing, building, programing, researching, and enhancing presentation skills.

A Brief History

Rookie Season...

An FRC team is born

In 2017, a group of students petitioned the district to create a FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) team. Kris Rue and Roger Bovee, both Tech Ed teachers at STMA High School, along with several parents and community members heard the call and FRC team 7028, Binary Battalion, was formed.

During the 2018 Power Up season, with much support from FRC team 4607 - C.I.S. from Becker and the Central MN Robotics Hub, team 7028 was awarded Rookie All Star at the Lake Superior Regional, earning them an invite to the FIRST® Championship in Detroit.

In 2019...

7028 Robotics

After seeing the success of team 7028, the coaches and mentors saw the benefits FIRST® programs bring to students. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, 7028 Robotics, was formed as a “Booster Club” to support team 7028.

Binary Battalion's second season saw the construction of one of their most iconic robots, Ozy-Mōld~iăs Philiăs (a.k.a Ozzy.) Ozzy was a unique design leading the team into a new era of competitiveness, earning the team their first invite to the MSHSL Robotics State Tournament.

In 2023...

Growth

After two years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a successful FRC competition season, the members of 7028 Robotics wanted to expand availability of FIRST® programs in the STMA community. For the 2023-24 school year, FIRST® LEGO® League was added for students in grades 1-6, and FIRST® Tech Challenge was added for grades 7-9. With an expanded reach, 7028 Robotics rebranded as STMA Robotics and drafted a mission statement with a focus on all young people.

2024-Present...

Continued Growth and Competitive Excellence

As STMA Robotics continues to expand, our focus remains on community outreach, competitive performance, and student growth. Binary Battalion has established a remarkable run of sustained success. On the field, the team has advanced to the finals at the Granite City Regional three times, twice taking home the coveted blue banner as Regional Winners. Guided by a deepened commitment to community outreach, Binary Battalion has also been honored with two Engineering Inspiration awards and the prestigious FIRST® Impact Award, the highest honor achievable in FIRST® Robotics. On the global stage, the team has qualified for the FIRST® World Championship in Houston for three consecutive years, advancing to division playoffs each time. Notably, the team served as a division playoff alliance captain for two consecutive years, won the Curie Championship Division, and advanced to the Einstein tournament to place fifth in the world. Locally, their excellence has earned them two MSHSL Robotics State Tournament trophies, securing both a second and third-place finish.

In addition to this success, the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) program has experienced remarkable expansion, growing to 10 active teams for the most recent season. Our FTC students have excelled, earning numerous accolades including FTC's top honor, the Inspire Award. Over the past two seasons, multiple FTC teams have advanced to the State Championship, with at least one team successfully earning a spot as an alliance captain in the division playoffs each year.