Team 4816

Since the team’s founding in 2012, we have devoted ourselves to empowering girls in STEAM. We work against the stereotype that women — specifically neurodivergent women — cannot thrive in STEAM.

Gadget Girls 4816 is composed of talented girls and individuals who retain several unique perspectives and skills which are constantly improving. Powered by an eagerness to learn, we build, design, and program robots that demonstrate both creativity and technical expertise. We always look for a way to push the boundaries of robotics through every challenge and every dare that FIRST® Robotics brings.

Through our relentless commitment to FIRST® Robotics, we want nothing more than to ignite a passion for robotics and technology within everyone. We foster a supportive team environment in which participants can work towards shared success. We pride ourselves on our hands-on learning style and a deep-rooted persistence to develop our STEAM proficiencies. Team members can apply their newfound knowledge to both the robots they build and to their years after FIRST®.

We want to prove that STEAM is accessible to anyone, regardless of their background. We believe it’s important to remain open-minded and welcoming towards peers. No matter what someone’s ideologies, orientation, or aspirations might be, we want the gateway into robotics to be one of equal opportunity. By working with Girl Scouts, communities, and organizations, we intend to help the upcoming generation of innovators develop essential technological skills while they explore the challenging but exciting world of robotics. Whether a hobby or a career choice, students can learn with Gadget Girls 4816 to begin their fulfilling pursuit into STEAM.

TIMELINE

Gadget Girls 4816 was founded in 2012 in association with Girl Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines in Raleigh, North Carolina. At the time, we pioneered women's representation in STEAM by being the only all-girl team in the state.
We debuted in 2013 by participating in FRC’s game, ULTIMATE ASCENT. The team was made of eight members and three mentors.
In 2015, we emerged as the winners of THOR-Thundering Herd of Robots.
In 2016,
- We won the Imagery Award at the NC Districts of Wake County and Campbell University, respectively.
- We emerged as the winners of THOR-Thundering Herd of Robots.
In 2018, we grew to 12 members!
In 2019, we became an official Girl Scout specialty troop and obtained Troop number 4816.
In 2023, we grew to 19 members, a new record!
In 2025, we won the Team Spirit Award at NC District of UNC Pembroke.
Currently in 2026,
- We are one of the three all-girl FRC teams in the country and the only Girl Scout FRC team in North Carolina.
- Our team member, Hotshot, was a Semi-Finalist for the District Championship FIRST Leadership Award!

REGARDING OUR ICON

This is the Gadget Girl’s second iteration of its icon. The icon was first introduced in 2024 by one of our alumni, Kat. Since then, the team has been proudly sporting what we call the cookie gear. The name is straight-forward: the gear reflects our participation in robotics and our love for STEAM, whereas its color scheme is a nod towards the Caramel deLite cookies of Girl Scouts.

REGARDING DARLENE…

Those that have seen Gadget Girls 4816 often approach us with one question: "What's with the duck?"

While at competitions and events alike, team members sport hoodies and shirts that depict a pink duck alongside the cookie gear icon. No matter the year, this duck always finds a way to be incorporated into the theme of the game. And of course, she can be found in the team's Pit too, wearing a silver crown and (occasionally) safety glasses.

Our love for the duck originated with the term known as "rubber ducking". This is a technique used by programmers to debug problematic code. "Rubber ducking" involves the programmer explaining the code to somebody or an inanimate object (a rubber duck). By describing the code out loud, the programmer typically finds a solution to the problem.

But why is her name Darlene? And why is she really, really pink?

Well, she just showed up like that.

Team 4816 over the years

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