Missoula Robotics Team 3216 is a group of about 50 ambitious Missoula County high school students and 10 adult mentors with a diverse set of backgrounds and skills. We are passionate about learning and teaching STEM through FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).  FRC combines the excitement of sports with the rigors of science and technology. Western Montana is our home, and we are committed to expanding FIRST programs in our state.

Each FRC season, our team develops a unique robot from concept through competition. In 2023, for the first time in team history, we traveled to two regional competitions in Grand Forks, ND and Nampa, ID. Our goal is to qualify for the FRC World Championship in Houston, TX. The Missoula Robotics Team is a nonprofit program and a school activity open to students from all local high schools and homeschoolers.

By building a robot from scratch, students gain valuable hands-on experience in fields like computer programming, engineering, computer-aided design (CAD), fabrication, and welding. Through team outreach and fundraising members learn skills in business, marketing, photography, film, graphic design, and public speaking. FRC also teaches analytical and collaborative skills such as data analyisis, problem solving, project management, communication, and leadership.

As Montana businesses struggle to fill tech positions, the Missoula Robotics Team guides young people into STEM-related fields and skilled trades. Some MRT students have landed internships with local companies while still in high school. Since our launch in 2009, many team members have gone on to pursue careers as mechanics, architects, programmers, and engineers for companies like Boeing, Microsoft, and Cushing Terrell.

MRT also mentors younger students in other FIRST programs like FIRST LEGO League for upper elementary and middle school, and community groups like the Cub Scouts and the YMCA. The team volunteers in the community with organizations like the Missoula Food Bank. We also engage in outreach to interest non traditional and diverse students in the program who might not find robotics on their own.

In addition to building technical skills, students gain lifelong values taught by FIRST, such as teamwork, gracious professionalism and coopertition (cooperation among competitors). Students learn to work together as diverse individuals, each pulling their weight for the common good of the team and our state.