What we've been up to.
A running log of what we're up to. For registration deadlines, event dates, and anything time-sensitive, the newsletter is faster.
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November 1, 2026
East Bay Hills FTC Meet 1 results, and how to read the scoreboard
Ctrl-Alt-Defeat!, Error 404 - Team Not Found, and Short Circuits lead the East Bay Hills League after Meet 1, and here is how BIOBUZZ scoring, RS, and league rankings work for the rest of the season.
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November 1, 2026
Highlander Robotics students host two Girl Scout badge workshops, open to all girls
High school students on Highlander Robotics are teaching a nightlight design workshop on November 14 and an Arduino workshop on December 5, where Girl Scouts will earn badges and any girl in the grade range can sign up.
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October 25, 2026
LEGO League Challenge robot game practice draws 60 teams
60 LEGO League Challenge teams practiced the robot game on official tables with referees and an announcer, getting a feel for tournament day ahead of the December Community Tournament.
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October 24, 2026
Robotics preseason: a first FTC scrimmage and CalGames
Eleven East Bay Hills League teams got their first matches on this year's FTC game, and Highlander Robotics 8033 took its new robot to a fourth-place alliance finish at CalGames.
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October 5, 2026
PUSD math pathways and curriculum: community meeting October 13
Piedmont Unified is proposing changes to its middle and high school math pathways, followed by a new math curriculum. Families can weigh in on Tuesday, October 13, in person at Havens or on Zoom.
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October 5, 2026
Make STEAM part of PUSD's superintendent search: listening sessions October 7–9
Piedmont Unified is asking families what they want in the next superintendent. Four listening sessions this week and an anonymous survey are your chance to tell the district that hands-on STEAM education matters.
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October 2, 2026
PUSD teachers: apply for a share of $30,000 in STEAM grants
Teacher Grant applications for the 2026-27 school year are open to every PUSD educator through November 6. The form takes about 10 minutes.
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September 23, 2026
Highlander Robotics grows to two FRC teams: 8033 and 8433
A record 85 students joined Highlander Robotics this season, 45 of them rookies, so the program is launching a second FIRST Robotics Competition team.
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September 15, 2026
BIOBUZZ is here: FTC teams watch the season reveal at 10th Street
Dozens of students and volunteer coaches packed the 10th Street Maker Space on Saturday morning to watch FIRST reveal BIOBUZZ, this season's FIRST Tech Challenge game.
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September 8, 2026
The new FTC game drops Saturday morning
Every FTC team member is invited to the season kickoff watch party at 10th Street on Saturday, September 12, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
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August 26, 2026
Eleven FTC teams, one Control Hub at a time
Coaches from eleven Piedmont Makers FTC teams spent an evening at 10th Street pushing code to a robot before the season starts.
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August 25, 2026
Our partnership with SEGA Girls' School in Tanzania
Piedmont Makers sent a season's worth of Unearthed mission mats and models to SEGA Girls' School. The club they started has already doubled in size.
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August 25, 2026
Adapting LEGO League for neurodiverse kids and teens, with Sidekicks
We're planning a Winter/Spring session with the Piedmont Recreation Department's Sidekicks program, and we're looking for interested families, teen volunteers, and a paid program leader.
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August 24, 2026
900 students, 139 schools: our 2025-26 Impact Report
Our 2025-26 Impact Report is out: more than 900 students from 139 schools across 20 East Bay cities, a permanent home for youth robotics in Oakland, and over $25,000 in teacher grants.
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August 23, 2026
The 2026-27 robotics season is underway
Rosters are set and coach training is done. FIRST built this year's games around biodiversity.
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August 11, 2026
Will AI Save or End the World? A film and expert panel, September 26
Piedmont Boosters, the Piedmont Parents Network, and Piedmont Makers present an evening film screening and expert panel on AI at the Alan Harvey Theater on September 26.
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July 7, 2026
Registration is open for our Destination Imagination pilot
This fall we're launching Destination Imagination for grades 3-8: team-based creative problem-solving with a spring tournament. Sign-ups are open now.
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May 18, 2026
School Maker Faire 2026: nearly 1,000 makers, young and old
Nearly 1,000 people came out for our 12th annual Piedmont School Maker Faire, where kids and grown-ups across the East Bay built, raced, and exhibited a full year of making.
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April 21, 2026
Highlander Robotics Team 8033 Update — April 2026
Team 8033 attended the first-ever Nor Cal District Championship. They won the Impact Award at the San Francisco District tournament, narrowly missed Worlds, and shipped a long list of outreach wins.
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April 20, 2026
Advanced Robotics Open House — May 17
Secondary students and their families are invited to an informational gathering on May 17 to explore opportunities for the upcoming robotics season.
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April 20, 2026
FIRST Tech Challenge Registration Now Open
Registration is open for the Piedmont Makers FIRST Tech Challenge fall season — grades 7–12, August through February.
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March 19, 2026
Updates from FIRST and LEGO
FIRST and LEGO Education are ending their nearly three-decade partnership after the 2026–2027 season. Here's what that means for our LEGO League programs.
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