Roseville Firebears robotics team celebrated by council after regional and world competition showings

The Roseville City Council honored the Roseville Area High School Firebears robotics team on May 18, hearing from lead mentor Don Seafford and student team captain Dylan about the team’s season, outreach and commitment to inclusion.

Don Seafford introduced the program and summarized the team’s competitive results: third-place finishes at early-season events, qualification to the World Championships in Houston (competing among approximately 600 top teams worldwide), and a 34th-place finish out of 75 teams in their division at Worlds. He noted a 12th-place finish at the Minnesota State High School League championship and emphasized that the team is largely grant- and sponsor-supported.

Seafford described efforts to increase representation—the RISE event (Robotics Inspires and Supports Everyone) aimed at female and non-binary students, a drive-team composed entirely of female or non-binary drivers at RISE, and presentations about neurodivergence at competitions and outreach events. "It's to go to supporting these students that need better representation in STEM fields," he said.

Council members and attendees congratulated the team, took a group photo and encouraged residents to follow and support the program online (the team’s website and social media were mentioned during the presentation). The council praised the extracurricular work that connects students with colleges and local employers and thanked coaches, mentors and volunteers for their time.