team 1218
SCH's FIRST® High School Robotics Team
FIRST Mid-Atlantic District COMPETITION
Every spring (mid-March), 30+ robotics teams from the tri-state area will converge on the SCH Vare Field House for the FIRST regional robotics tournament. FIRST, representing the “global robotics community for young people,” runs competitions that combine “the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.” Trailers and students, along with their industrial-size robots, will stream into Chestnut Hill where SCH will host a qualifying tournament. The robots, which have been specifically designed and built to complete the challenge set forth by FIRST®, will face off both days, from 10 AM to 5 PM (with an hour lunch break).
Spectators are invited to witness the fierce competition that distinguishes a robotics tournament—combining the intensity and talent of an Olympic event with the excitement of a rock concert—in-person at the Vare Field House or livestream.
Team 1218 Highlights
Robotic Reveal 2025: Surge
2025 Hatboro Horsham Highlights
2024 Season Recap
Our Team great time at the Hatboro-Horsham district qualifier event on March 4-5, 2023! Team 1218 ranked third overall, and, as semi-finalists, won the Judge's Award. In addition, our amazing team member Devin advanced to the semi-finals round for the Dean's List Award!
Team 1218 Reflection
"Welcome to the home of Team 1218." The Chairman Award honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators.
Team 1218 started in 2002 with two mentors with a robot in a closet. Since then its grown to 40 Upper School students who actively engaged themselves in FIRST and other STEM opportunities.
Team 1218 alumni
SCH Academy's Upper School Robotics & Engineering Team
2019 world champions
SCH’s Team 1218 had a stunning ride at the FIRST World Robotics Tournament and is the 2019 Champion! For the final round of competition, the action took place in Ford Stadium, home of the Detroit Lions, where an audience of 38,000 screaming spectators witnessed the two alliances battle it out for the championship. In the first of the best-of-three final round, Team 1218’s alliance lost out of the gate. But they rebounded with a new strategy and won game two. Tweaking their tactics further, in the nail-biting winner-takes-all final match, they won by ONE point, 91-90. In an instant, confetti was flying everywhere.
Allison Gerhard, one of three senior captains of the team recalls, “It was so special to feel the support from the other teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. Our team is so thankful for our mentors, alumni, and sponsors for providing us with the knowledge and the resources that helped lead us to where we are today.“