Tahoma High School’s robotics team has a few goals in mind every year, including how to encourage more girls to join the team.

The robotic’s team is mostly made up of boys, but it is always looking for girls to join the team. This year, it has about 10 girls on the team, more than it has in previous years, secretary of communications for the Tahoma Robotics Club, Avery Weston, said.

“Girls are just as capable of boys to work on robots and we want more girls to join,” Avery said.

Bear Metal has a special program called Girl’s Generation where only girls from the team participate. They work on the robot from the previous year before the new robotics season kicks off. The team hopes this encourages girls to join because they see that they can work on robots like boys can.

On Oct. 22 Tahoma High School hosted a competition for all the girls in other robotics teams. They had a task to do, just like they have to do during the robotics season, where they had to get their robot to throw a ball into a goal. About 31 teams competed, Weston said.

“It’s a whole team effort where everyone has a job to do,” Weston said.

Whether it is cheering the team on from the stands, working in the pit to help fix the robot if something happens or being the driver of the robot, it’s an all-girl team effort.

The boys only offer to help if the girls can’t lift the robot, since it is very heavy. Out of the 31 teams, Tahoma came in fifth during the qualification matches. The team made it all the way to the semifinals.

Weston hopes as the years go on, more girls join the team.