Girls of Steel, a 60-member all-girl robotics team, competed against 44 other teams and qualified for the National competition taking place April 26 - 28 in St. Louis. The Ellis School has 12 girls—more than from any other school—on Girls of Steel team. Ellis, known for its rigorous math and science programs, is Pittsburgh’s only independent school for girls ages 3 to grade 12. At the Pittsburgh regional competition, Girls of Steel won:

• The Engineering Inspiration Award, which celebrates a team’s outstanding efforts in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school as well as their community.  
• Best website award recognizing excellence in FIRST team websites that are student-designed, built, and managed. Visit the Girls of Steel web site.
• Volunteer of the Year Award was shared by George Kantor, Ph.D. of Carnegie Mellon University; Theresa Richards, Ph.D., of The Ellis School; and Gregory Young, engineer/parent; The three serve as mentors to Girls of Steel and share Volunteer of the Year for organizing the use of The Ellis School Armory as a robotics practice field for all regional FIRST robotics teams.
• Girls of Steel team member Jaden Barney, a student at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School - University Scholars Program, won the FIRST Dean's List Finalist Award, which celebrates outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary.

Watson, the Girls of Steel robot, was tasked with collecting basketballs, shooting baskets, surmounting a small barrier, climbing onto a wooden bridge, and then traversing and/or balancing on the bridge. Girls of Steel will also compete at the Queen City regional competition April 5-7 at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.

According to the Girls of Steel website, “We, the Girls of Steel, are more than just a robotics team. Our mission goes past building a robot for competition; we work hard to give girls the skills that will last far beyond their high-school years.”