SACRAMENTO — A Sacramento high school girls robotics team is fresh off their trip to the championships, placing fifth internationally. The St. Francis High School Team was excited to return home to a new robotics lab on campus.

Robotics advisor Marcus Grindstaff went over the 4,000-square-foot hands-on discovery and learning STEM zone at St. Francis.

“We have a science olympiad team. They are getting a whole new space as well,” he said. “And then we have a maker space we will be building out for all students to come in and make everything from club T-shirts to gifts for friends to parts for rockets.”

Robotics team members are excited about the project.

“I think it gives us a space to learn and create a robot and learn about the engineering process and find out what we want to do and make really cool things,” senior Lauren Grindstaff said.

Lauren joined the team freshman year.

“We are doing so much better now than we did then,” she said. “We have so many more tech advancements.”

She sees their work with underwater remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, as an important part of the program.

The new lab has more computers, machines, and a 3-D printer—all new tools to help attract more team members.

“I think it’s really inspirational for women in STEM, or even women looking towards STEM, because it really shows we can do it,” senior Kinnera Tirumala said.

These girls are getting hands-on skills, learning about leadership, and expanding their minds and career opportunities as St. Francis tries to expand its facilities.

St. Francis is looking to expand its STEM curriculum with the addition of a $10 million aquatics center that will be used by the robotics, swim and water polo teams. They are currently looking for donors.