SoCal Showdown offseason First Robotics Competition 2023, 2025

Working alongside our allies, Team 4201 The Vitruvian Bots, and Team 2637 Phantom Cats, we co-ran an off-season competition titled SoCal Showdown where over 50+ teams came to participate in this event. This opportunity allowed for local teams in the Los Angeles area to find events that were accessible. While ensuring to create a memorable and fun competition experience, it also helped to create more opportunities for teams to exchange knowledge and gain connection with mentors.

Match Scouting and Strategy Workshop at socal showdown 10/7/2023

In addition to our co-hosting Socal Showdown event, we also hosted our very own Scouting and Strategy Workshop to strengthen and empower our community. This even guided by former mentor, Scott, was highly successful with a great attendance where teams regardless of experience could sit in and listen to the functions and strategies on the robotics field.

Taste of CAMS Fundraising and Robot Demonstration

Our biggest annual outreach event hosted by our high school, the California Academy of Mathematics and Science, we showcase both FTC and FRC robotics into our community through robot demonstrations. In addition, by partnering with over 8+ restraunts around our area we reach over 1,200 people in our community gaining profit, and continuing to create long lasting relationships with our local community.

FLL League Mentoring Team 58689 and Volunteering in Torrance 2024

To ensure that we spread FIRST to a wider audience, our Nerd Herd members supported the FLL League in Torrance, 2023 showcasing their commitment to help young students build through FIRST and STEM.

However, volunteering was not the only action that we conducted. In hopes of helping our neighboring FLL Team 58689, our members have mentored 3 First Lego League teams, hosting FLL practice fields in our space.

CAMS Open House, Site day, Consortium Day Robot Demonstration

Team 687 participates in an annual outreach event to three different audiences. By opening our school to the public and potential students who are interested in attending our STEM Highschool, we reach an audience of over 4,500 attendees total let alone these three events annually. By introducing our Nerd Herd Team, this event continues to intrigue young students to join our team and join our herd!

First Tech Challenge League G Hosting since 2023

Nerd Herd 687 mentors over 5 FIRST Tech Challenge Teams since 2023 assisting teams to learn about the process of desisgning and assembling for competition ready robots. Through assistance from our FRC Team, they were able to compete at ILT and other FTC League G Teams. Advanving to the Socal FTC Championship Tournament on March 9 our Team #51 also won the prestigious Inspire Award.

Eucalyptus Elementary Engineering Event 2024,2025

687 continues to find more opportunities to spread STEM education, as we have established our Eucalyptus Elementary School outreach event where we taught the basics of stem to a young age. By bringing STEM to this Title 1 elementary school, we explained to them what Nerd Herd, FIRST, and STEM is all about.

Through this event, we taught a diverse audience, with over 60 students showcasing their excitement for robotics through letters that have been written back to us.

Pokémon Tech outreach video 2024

Our Nerd Herd Business Team created an outreach video through animation skill and voice overs teaching elementary school students the iterative design process of creating a robot. By explaining the different stages of design including manufacturing, assembly, and programming in an engaging way through Pokémon Evolution, we tailored this video in hopes of grabbing young students’ attention. With over ____ views, it showcased the excitement of robotics and STEM to future generations.

687 STEM Expo – 2/8/2025

687 hosted two session of STEM EXPO events on our high school campus. Many of our students that participated in this event came from our Local -Carson Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts. By showing variety of rotations of tours of our machine shop, which each member on our team gain hands on experience from, FLL robot building, coding sessions, mini CAD lessons, and information sessions for parents to learn more about the FIRST Community. Tailoring our event to a young wide audience consisting of elementary to middle school students, we give opportunity to our local community to learn more about STEM.

Dodson Middle School FTC Team Outreach Tour – Los Angeles Regionals 2025

To continue being in contact with our students that participated in both of our STEM Expo and Eucalyptus Outreach Event, we invited them to the Los Angeles Regionals Competition which we competed in early March of 2025. 687 members gave tours to students ranging from 12-16 years old about our Reefscape game and the iterative process. By collecting pins and showcasing them our documentation, we continue to bring STEM in an engaging way.

Herd HQ- 2024, 2025

Our initiative, Herd HQ launched in our 2024 Ventura regionals, as we ensured every team to have ample resources such as technical assistance, documentation, and mechanical and electrical tool support. We pride ourselves on being the reliable support system that keeps operations running smoothly.

Notably in Los Angeles Regionals 2025, we lent out approximately 120 safety glasses while helping Team 7840 Emoner Robotics with Bearing Retention. In addition at Idaho Regionals by helping Team 10488 Jerome Highschool Tigers with Battery issues, we give an equitable opportunity for all teams regardless of financial situation.

LA Fire Toy Drive 1/25-2/8/2025

During the tragic times in 2025, where our local Los Angeles Community have been engulfed by the Wild Fires, our team partnered with Pasadena/ Altadena coalition of Transformative Leaders and Adventuretown Toy Emporium to support families affected by the Eaton Fire. By organizing a toy drive, we collected over 60 robotics kits and STEM Focused toys for displaced children. To our astonishment, our contributions spread to the outside community where KTLA News and Fox News picked up our amazing story to viewers across the state.

Marine Aquarium Outreach Event 2025

During the offseason of 2025, we also helped one of our mentoring FTC Teams, FTC Team #Seven Squared to hold a STEM Outreach event at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. By giving them robot demonstrations and talking to students and parents about the FIRST Program helped to introduce a new world of robotics and STEM through FLL Kits presented.

687 Nerd Herd Period Presentation & Period Movement 2024-2025

Supporting the movement for young women in and out of our team, we extended our reach to our Period Movement Chapter in the community. Through our partnered movement, we were able to distribute stickers, pins, information sheets, and over 500+ menstrual products which we distributed in the restrooms during competition.

Ensuring knowledge on the Period Movement and reducing the stigma around periods, we took further action to hold our own period presentation to male students at our school. Through this event we’ve showcased the inclusive culture that we want to bring to others on our team and the outside community.

Safety Kit Distribution – Ventura, Lar, LVR, Idaho Regionals 2024-2025

As we ensure inclusivity for our women in STEM, we have also continued to work to ensure safety in our team. Working with our Safety Captain, we purchased over 1000 band aids, alcohol prep pads, burn/cut creams, hair ties, and custom safety stickers that were packaged in boxes that were distributed to every FRC team during competition.