HILLSDALE—They’re the Pascack Pi-oneers, Team 1676 in the FIRST Robotics Competition, and this spring marked their 21st year designing, building, and competing at the highest levels of student-led robotics.
Representing the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, they hail from Hillsdale, River Vale, Montvale, and Woodcliff Lake.
This season, the Pi-oneers qualified once again for the FIRST World Championship, held in Houston, Texas—where they finished a strong 26th out of 75 in their division. Back home in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District, they were finalists at one event, came within one match of repeating that at another, and ultimately ranked 16th of 60 teams at the District Championship. That’s no small feat for a robot designed and built entirely by students in just eight weeks.
“Every year the robot is built entirely by our members,” co-CEO Agrima (her first name) told Pascack Press. “The ideas, mistakes, and lessons we learn are made through hands-on experiences. Our team works together to build a robot we are very proud of.”
But ask a Pi-oneer what they’re most proud of, and they’re likely to talk about something else entirely: A rich and very human throughline of service to others.
Beyond the Build: Helping Others Play
Led by the Adaptive Physical Education Device Project Group, the team has spent multiple seasons developing a robotic system designed to help children with physical challenges participate in sports.
That initiative is now making a difference hundreds of miles away: the current version of the device is being used in adaptive physical education classes at the University of South Carolina, where college students have incorporated it into their curriculum.
Feeding the Community: Powered by Outreach
The Community Outreach Project Group keeps the Pi-oneers engaged far beyond the build space. This year, the group expanded long-running partnerships with the Tri-Boro Food Pantry and the Hillsdale Helping Hand Food Pantry. The InfoTech Subdivision redesigned the Hillsdale pantry’s website (helpinghandfoodpantry.com), improving access to local food resources.
Meanwhile, the team built and maintained food donation bins at Kings and ShopRite of Hillsdale, where generous customers donated more than 8,000 pounds of food last year. And this fall, they’ll return to ShopRite for their Second Annual Food Pantry Day, part of the store’s Partners in Caring campaign.
(See related stories on our website, PascackPress.com.)
Recycling and Sustainability: Local Drives, Growing Impact
Environmental responsibility is a growing part of the Pi-oneers’ mission. The Sustainability Project Group launched a Prescription Medicine Bottle Recycling Drive this year to keep bottles out of landfills. What started as a local effort now includes receptacles at Bergen County Housing Authority sites in River Vale, Montvale, Dumont, and Hillsdale House.
The team also joined forces with the Environmental Clubs at Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills High Schools to promote recycling through educational posters and plastic bottle collection drives.
Safety and Wellness
The Safety Subdivision, in collaboration with the Pascack Hills Medical Club, hosted the team’s annual Red Cross Blood Drive this past November.
This year, Safety Subdivision leader Aanya launched Wellness Week, which she said “is a fun way to remind our students that although school can get stressful, it is important they take care of themselves and prioritize their mental health, especially during end-of-year testing.”
With support from the Guidance Department, faculty, and administration, the team coordinated daily activities throughout the week—putting self-care front and center in the high school experience.
Building Bridges Around the World
Through the International Project Group, the Pi-oneers actively mentor and collaborate with robotics teams from around the globe. This season, they worked with students from South Africa (in partnership with the Sakhikamva Foundation), India, Turkey, and Haiti—offering virtual support and even welcoming teams into their own build space.
Three of their international mentees qualified for the FIRST World Championship, and many Pi-oneers say watching those teams succeed was a season highlight.
Looking Ahead
The Pi-oneers are grateful for the ongoing support of local families, schools, and businesses. But sustaining this level of impact—locally and globally—requires outside investment. The team depends on grants and donations to meet its goals, and is actively seeking new sponsors.
To learn more about the team or become a donor, visit team1676.com/sponsor-us. You can follow the team’s journey on social media or explore the broader world of student robotics at firstinspires.org.