FLARE - Finger Lakes Area Robotics Education

FLARE - Finger Lakes Area Robotics Education First Tech Challenge Robotics team open to youth in grades 7 through 12 in the Finger Lakes Area of New York. We assure you it is well worth the effort!

Our mission is to increase opportunities for area youth to gain real-world, hands-on experience. The primary goal of FLARE (Finger Lakes Area Robotics Education) is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Students will have the chance to learn and develop many new skills. They will be acquiring not only skills in engineering and design, but w

ill also be developing leadership, business, teamwork, and communication skills. We are looking to provide these students a chance to explore potential STEM careers and gain necessary skills to become the next leaders in our community and beyond. Our robotics team, Mechanical Meltdown, is part of the NY Excelsior FIRST Tech Challenge community, which encompasses all of New York State except the 5 boroughs of NYC and Long Island. Each year, 5 or 6 out the 110+ teams in this region earn the opportunity to participate in the World Championship, which is held in Detroit, MI. Our team is honored and proud to have advanced to the Championship for each of the past 3 years!!! It’s such an extraordinary experience to attend this 5-day event with 40,000 other people from around the globe, who all have an excitement for robotics and technology! We meet in Watkins Glen, but welcome youth from the entire Finger Lakes area as long as you are able/willing to come here for practices. There are limited opportunities for the type of experience you can gain from this program & it is not uncommon for youth to travel up to an hour to participate.

⌛Last call -- FREE classes start next Tuesday - May 12th!Learn a little bit about coding and/or see if you have what it ...
05/10/2026

⌛Last call -- FREE classes start next Tuesday - May 12th!

Learn a little bit about coding and/or see if you have what it takes to be our next team programmer!

Register TODAY! https://forms.gle/SfUcshEtgbAz72Nh9

📢It's recruitment time - Our team has an open spot for a programmer to join us for the upcoming season!

Do you know a student who:
• Is a natural problem-solver?
• Loves figuring out how things work?
• Enjoys a good challenge?

The best part? No prior coding experience is required. We’re looking for a mindset, not a resume. Programming a robot is about more than just typing on a screen—it’s about logic, persistence, and seeing your ideas come to life.

We’re hosting a brief "Intro to Programming" for interested students to explore their interest and discover if software development may be in their future.

📬Interested? Drop us a message or email us to ask questions, schedule a visit, or register for the lessons!

05/03/2026

Registration is open!

These "Intro to Python Programming" sessions will serve as a brief introduction to help youth determine if they enjoy coding & to give a feel for our team’s meeting atmosphere. We will also use these lessons to identify a student who would be a good fit for our team's OPEN PROGRAMMER POSITION.

Do you know a student who:
• Is a natural problem-solver?
• Loves figuring out how things work?
• Enjoys a good challenge?

The best part? No prior coding experience is required. We’re looking for a mindset, not a resume. Programming a robot is about more than just typing on a screen—it’s about logic, persistence, and seeing your ideas come to life.

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/SfUcshEtgbAz72Nh9

04/24/2026

📢It's recruitment time - Our team has an open spot for a programmer to join us for the upcoming season!

Do you know a student who:
• Is a natural problem-solver?
• Loves figuring out how things work?
• Enjoys a good challenge?

The best part? No prior coding experience is required. We’re looking for a mindset, not a resume. Programming a robot is about more than just typing on a screen—it’s about logic, persistence, and seeing your ideas come to life.

We’re hosting a brief "Intro to Programming" for interested students to explore their interest and discover if software development may be in their future.

📬Interested? Drop us a message or email us to ask questions, schedule a visit, or register for the lessons!

🤖ROBOTS are taking over the Corning Museum of Glass THIS weekend!!!** Tournament-like matches between 15 New York FTC ro...
03/25/2026

🤖ROBOTS are taking over the Corning Museum of Glass THIS weekend!!!
** Tournament-like matches between 15 New York FTC robotics teams
** Robot-themed hot glass shows
** Hands-on STEM activities
** Museum-wide "passport" activity, with prizes
** See a goldfish driving a robot
** Robots used in law enforcement
** Demo robots for visitors to control
** More!!!
Join us Saturday and/or Sunday - kids under 17 free!

Robots are rolling into the Museum next weekend 🤖✨ FLX REX is taking over CMoG on March 28–29, and there’s gonna be so much fun for the whole fam—hands‑on stations, student‑built bots, Robot Mario Kart, and special Hot Glass Demos inspired by all things robotics.

It’s all included with regular admission, and kids/teens are always free. If you’ve got a little engineer in the family, they’ll probably be in their element. We can’t wait! Learn more about FLX REX at CMoG here: FLX REX (Finger Lakes Robotics Expo)

03/13/2026
📢We now have a new drop‑off spot for anyone wishing to donate their returnable cans and bottles!Thanks to our new partne...
02/23/2026

📢We now have a new drop‑off spot for anyone wishing to donate their returnable cans and bottles!

Thanks to our new partnership with We CAN Do Redemption Center, you can now take them to 111 Ridge Road in Horseheads.

Look for our labeled bin just to the left as you pull in. You can also continue to drop bags off at our FLARE Lair if that is more convenient.

Thank you!!!

Our new FLL team Blazing Fury, which is the junior counterpart to Mechanical Meltdown: FTC Team 12833, wrapped up their ...
02/11/2026

Our new FLL team Blazing Fury, which is the junior counterpart to Mechanical Meltdown: FTC Team 12833, wrapped up their season with a presentation to family, friends, & supporters.

They showcased many of their accomplishments —from building and programming their robot to presenting their research project on how technology can help archaeologists preserve artifacts at dig sites.

We are thrilled to be fostering a love of STEM & robotics among our local youth. Along with their STEM work, these remarkable young people are also gaining skill in teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and so much more! We look forward to working with them to continue building these skills next season!

A heartfelt thank‑you to their coaches, Lindsy and Chelsey, for stepping up to guide them on their journey through this exciting first season!!!💐

Our team Mechanical Meltdown: FTC Team 12833 got some spotlights in the news!
02/02/2026

Our team Mechanical Meltdown: FTC Team 12833 got some spotlights in the news!

CORNING, NY (WENY) — Robotics teams filled the Field House at Corning-Painted Post High School for the Corning Qualifier for the New York Excelsior Region. Kids got excited once the

📢Come out this Sunday to cheer on our team as they compete in Corning!
01/30/2026

📢Come out this Sunday to cheer on our team as they compete in Corning!

🎉Cheer us on this Sunday in our close-to-home tournament!!!

We will compete with & against 27 other teams from across New York state. We'll be there bright & early for inspection & judging, then matches should begin around 10:30am. Join us at Corning-Painted Post High School or follow us through the livestream https://www.youtube.com//streams

Address

435 S. Franklin Street
Watkins Glen, NY
14891

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when FLARE - Finger Lakes Area Robotics Education posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category