As a team, we are committed to encouraging girls in STEAM. In 2023, our rookies season, our team captains organized a our first Girls in STEAM Night as part of a social justice initiative to create more interest from girls in STEAM related programs. The success from this initial event has evolved into an annual event that many young girls in our community look forward to. 

Every year our school invites the Grade 7 students from all our associates schools for a Gr 7 STEAM/Technology Day. Students get a chance to tour the school, check out some classes, and learn about different clubs. The FireHawks have the pleasure of meeting with over 300 students at each year to share with them about FIRST programs, our values and our mission. Each year we showcase our most recent robot and have the students join in with fun interactive games. 

At our school’s annual Grade 8 Night, the FireHawks showcase our robot with demonstrations and shared information about our team with interested prospective students and their families! We talked about STEAM at Loyola and our commitment to inclusion within our team, outlining all the different sub teams within the FireHawks team for students of all skill sets! We emphasized the fact that robotics is for everyone! Beginners and experienced individuals alike, as we aim to spread love and knowledge of STEAM.

In November 2024, the FireHawks hosted a mini FLL tournament for the teams that we mentor, giving them a chance to get extra practice before their official season events. The event gave teams a chance to practice with both their robot and their Innovation Project presentations, and get inspiration from other teams that are at similar stages to them.

Our team values nurturing young minds and getting kids thinking about STEAM. To do our part, eleven of our students volunteer to mentor four FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, including two rookie teams we founded in the 2024 season. Two of the four FLL teams qualified for the FLL Provincial Championships held in January 2025. We help instill FIRST core values, Gracious Professionalism, and Coopertition in these young prospective FRC members. By working together we are encouraging them to develop their skills and have fun!

Mentoring a FLL team was so much fun, it only made sense to volunteer at our local FLL Competition event. Several of our FireHawks volunteer to help with FIRST Lego League events! It is a great way to witness the young teams as they experience the excitement of a FLL competition, while also setting an example of volunteerism in the community.

On November 8th each year the FireHawks celebrate National STEAM Day by getting out in our school community to talk about our team and demonstrate the robot from our previous season. We aim to get students excited about STEAM and inspire them to get involved. This also gives students an opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting. 

Hour of Code is a world wide initiative to show students that anybody and everybody can code! The FireHawks are passionate about this topic, as we greatly value diversity and inclusion within STEAM. Members of our team reached out to groups in our community and offer Hour of Code workshops for Gr 5-8 students. These interactive workshops are a fun way to learn about coding and to ignite their passions for STEAM!

The FireHawks started our annual LEGO Drive during the Christmas Season of 2023. Both by reaching out to the school community and by donating themselves, the yearly campaign is a great success. It is a great way to promote charity and generosity within our team by supporting our community. Since we love LEGO we wanted to share this toy that promotes STEAM, inspires innovation, and is loved by all. We were thrilled to brighten up Christmas for children in need in our area.

For the past three years, the FireHawks have been happy to assist FRC Team 4039 – MakeShift Robotics with providing tours for over 300 elementary school students from various communities during the Ontario DCMP. The goal is to spark a passion for FIRST Robotics and STEAM by spreading our enthusiasm for the programs and their benefits.

The FireHawks conduct robot demos and presentations to our local elementary schools during their fall welcome back events and spring BBQs. The goals are to promote STEAM to young minds, to inspire the next generation of FIRST students, and to ensure the sustainability of the FireHawks program. 

The FireHawks are committed to the spirit of volunteerism. Team members volunteers at FRC off-season events and FRC competition season events. We appreciate the hard work and dedication from the volunteers in our FIRST community and we want to do our part to give back. We are proud of the many FireHawks alumni that continue to dedicate their time and volunteer at events or mentor other teams.