Team TeraBridges of Upper St. Clair High School recently took another major step in our effort to expand access to robotics education across Pennsylvania, joining state representatives, educators, community leaders, and members of the media at a bipartisan press conference supporting Senate Bill 1419, the Pennsylvania Statewide Robotics Program Act.
Our work toward this legislation began earlier in the FIRST Tech Challenge DECODE season, when TeraBridges launched a statewide advocacy initiative focused on demonstrating the impact of robotics and encouraging greater investment in robotics education. We invited elected officials to visit the USC Robotics facility, where our team members showcased our engineering projects, discussed our experiences in FIRST, and shared firsthand the opportunities and challenges that come with building a successful robotics program. These conversations helped us bring the need for greater access to robotics education directly to legislators and ultimately contributed to the development of Senate Bill 1419, introduced through a bipartisan effort by Senator Devlin Robinson and Senator Nikil Saval.
SB 1419 would establish a statewide grant program to help schools start and sustain K-12 robotics programs across Pennsylvania. The funding would help schools with many of the costs associated with robotics, including equipment, competition fees, and other program expenses. For TeraBridges, this legislation is especially meaningful because we have experienced firsthand how access to resources, mentors, and a supportive community can allow students to develop skills and pursue opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.
At the press conference, state representatives first spoke about the importance of STEM education and the goals of SB 1419. The student leaders of USC Robotics then shared their individual experiences with the program, with Felix Chen, Harish Rajaganapathy, Augusta Bottonari, and Aaron Jiang each speaking about how robotics has influenced their education, leadership, technical skills, and future goals. While the advocacy effort behind SB 1419 was driven by TeraBridges, these student perspectives helped demonstrate the broader impact that robotics can have across the USC Robotics program and why expanding these opportunities matters for students throughout Pennsylvania.
Following the presentations, TeraBridges had the opportunity to showcase our robot, competition accomplishments, and engineering work to the legislators and members of the media. We discussed our experience competing at the 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge Western Edge Premier Event, where TeraBridges competed against 88 of the top teams from across the United States and around the world, ultimately becoming the Overall Tournament Champion while also earning the Connect Award and Sea Division Championship. Sharing these accomplishments gave us the opportunity to demonstrate what students can achieve when they have access to the resources and opportunities that a strong robotics program provides.
For TeraBridges, the press conference was about more than celebrating our own achievements. It represented a significant moment in our ongoing effort to make the opportunities we have experienced available to students across the Commonwealth. We believe that every student should have the opportunity to design, build, compete, collaborate, and discover their interests through robotics, regardless of whether their school currently has the resources to support a program.
We are grateful to Senator Devlin Robinson, Senator Nikil Saval, Representatives Natalie Mihalek and Jen Mazzocco, and everyone who has helped turn our team’s advocacy into meaningful statewide action. What began with TeraBridges students reaching out to legislators has grown into a bipartisan effort with the potential to impact thousands of students across Pennsylvania. As SB 1419 moves forward, we are proud to continue advocating for a future where more students can experience the opportunities that robotics has given our team.
View Senator Devlin Robinson’s highlight about this event here: https://senatorrobinson.com/2026/08/12/robinson-highlights-robotics-legislation-celebrates-upper-st-clair-students-international-success/