August/September 2026 Newsletter

Save the Dates!

Mark your calendars, we've got two big events coming up!

Las Vegas Regional

April 1st–3rd.

Night in Pair of Dice (Sponsor Night)

March 31st (Tentative)

Our Lab Has Been Renamed!

Gene Haas Foundation - A Pair of Dice Naming Rights Sponsor

We are incredibly grateful to the Gene Haas Foundation for their generous sponsorship of our Advanced Manufacturing program. Our lab will now be know as the Gene Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing. This generous donation will be used to update our facilities as well as give us access to better equipment, resources, and training opportunities that will directly benefit our team and our Advanced Manufacturing program. Thanks to this partnership, our students will be better equipped to learn hands-on manufacturing skills, build more advanced robots, and grow as future engineers and innovators. We can't thank Gene Haas enough for investing in our program and in the next generation of makers and problem-solvers.

Meet Our Team Leaders

Aiden Jaramillo, Team Captain (Senior)
West Porter, Software Director (Senior)
Hunter Evans, Hardware Director (Junior)
Alexa Rodriguez, Shop Manager (Senior)
Nataly Gillard, Media Manager (Junior)
Daniel Somerhalder, Treasurer (Senior)

Current Team Needs

HFL 1313 3kW - Haas Fiber Laser

Right now, cutting plates and tubes means waiting on our CNC Router Table, which gets the job done, but it's slow, messy, and the learning curve is steep. This fiber laser would change that , allowing us to cut parts in-house, in minutes, not hours or days.

Faster iteration = more design revisions tested before competition = real competitive edge.
Safer, more forgiving than traditional machining - new students can get hands-on faster.
Serves both programs year-round: Advanced Manufacturing gets an industry-standard machine for certifications; FRC 7426 gets custom parts on our own timeline.

One investment, two programs, immediate impact.

Initial Cost - US$82,235.89

We Will Match Your Donation!

Newest Sponsors/Grants

Southern STEM Network Grant - $7,900

Southern STEM Network Grant for the Girls in Tech: Elementary Edition has been funded for the full amount of $7,900.00! Grant reviewers said they "believe the project will significantly impact the wider region, strengthen relationships within the STEM ecosystem, and address a well-documented need." Stay tuned for more information about our annual Girls in Tech event at SECTA, and how you can help.

Jr. STEM Labs

This past Saturday, we hosted and introduced our first outreach event of the year: Jr. STEM Labs, a day dedicated to fun, hands-on STEM learning at the East Las Vegas Library! Our members taught over 40 kids of all ages about density, gravity, chemistry, and much more. All of the kids were also introduced to our book, Space Whiskers, paired with a rocket built from the book's curriculum. We're also excited to share that we're currently working on both a Spanish translation and an audiobook version!

Get your copy of Space Whiskers

All Girls Day

Every Friday, we host Girls Day for new and returning members, and it's one of our favorite traditions! This day gives girls on the team their own dedicated session to learn about our different sub-teams in a supportive, welcoming environment, all led by other girls. Even better, many of these workshops are run by our amazing returning members, who pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation.

Team Informational Meeting & Parent Meeting

Later in the month, we hosted our Team Informational Meeting to officially kick off the season, introducing new members to our different sub-teams. From there, we launched our weekly workshops, giving new members hands-on exposure to everything from mechanical design to programming to business and outreach. Each week focuses on a different sub-team, helping everyone find where they fit best before diving into hands-on events and projects.

Welcome Back School Assembly

The team put our 2026 Season Robot, Ricochet, on display for all of the students and staff at SECTA in the Welcome Back Assembly! Organizes honored us with the invitation and celebrated our accomplishments with our peers. Ricochet shot balls into the crowd, and they went wild. It was a special experience for all - the team and attendees.

What's Next?

It's been an incredible start to the year for our team! From welcoming new members through our Advanced Manufacturing and FRC showcases, to bonding through Girls Day, to hosting our first ever Jr. STEM Labs, we're proud of everything we've accomplished together in just one month.

Stay tuned; next month is shaping up to be an exciting month! Thank you for supporting our mission to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders!