Four robots in a boxing ring-like space. Out of focus, six students hold remote controls.

Campus

Robotics Takes Center Stage at the NYC Mayor’s Cup

Hosted by Columbia Engineering, in partnership with NYC FIRST and the Mayor’s Office, the Mayor’s Cup brought together high school teams for a full-day robotics experience.

May 16, 2025
Beatrice Mhando

It is all fun and games when robots are involved. 

On Saturday, May 10, Alfred Lerner Hall transformed from an auditorium to an arena for a full day of rigorous competition. Instead of athletics, however, robotics took the spotlight – with teams of high school students behind the controls. 

The Mayor’s Cup FIRST Tech Challenge for Robot Games, presented by NYC FIRST, Columbia Engineering, and the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness, and Recreation, hosted 29 teams from high schools across New York City to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) – a national program facilitating innovation, teamwork, and creative problem solving through STEM. 

The event, which drew more than 400 attendees, kicked off with opening remarks from Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang. Additional speakers included NYC FIRST CEO Michael Zigman and Jasmine Ray, director of the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness, and Recreation. 

Mayor's Cup Highlights

Credit: Diane Bondareff/Columbia Engineering

Five high school students smiling for a photo next to a pink robot. Behind them, a sign reads "Roone Arledge Auditorium"
High school teams from across New York City participated in the May 10 Mayor’s Cup FIRST Tech Challenge for Robot Games.
High school students equipped with remote controllers and spectators crowd around a fenced-off space with robots
The event was held in Lerner Auditorium at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.
Four high school students posing for a photo behind their robot
Three high school students wearing safety glasses tinker with a robot in a crowded room
Shih-Fu Chang wearing a Columbia Engineering long-sleeve shirt gesturing on stage
Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang delivered welcome remarks.
Michael Zigman at a podium speaking into a microphone. His T-shirt reads "Mayor's Cup New York City"
Michael Zigman, CEO of NYC FIRST
Jasmine Ray at a podium speaking into a microphone
Jasmine Ray, director of the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness, and Recreation
Hod Lipson gesturing on stage at a screen portraying a robotic hand holding a cube
Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Hod Lipson inspiring future roboticists
Two students wearing safety glasses sit on the ground next to a robot
Five high school students wearing safety glasses stand around a robot
Two high school students smiling for a photo in a crowded gymnasium. The left student wears a top hat and holds a wheeled robot. The one on the right holds a wooden box with a PlayStation controller on top.
Two high school students tinkering with a robot among a crowded room
Two students wearing safety glasses tinkering with a robot adorned with hand-written signatures
A high school student wearing safety glasses sits on the floor behind a robot
A woman holds a device while others look at her
High-schoolers and Mayor’s Cup attendees enjoyed lab tours led by Columbia Engineering students
Students stand next to an open-wheel, single-seat race car
Columbia University Formula Racing was on hand to demo their show-stopping formula-style electric car.
A high school student sitting in the driver's seat of a race car smiles and holds both thumbs up
Five high school students holding remote controllers standing just outside a cordoned off space for wheeled robots. In the middle of the space lay colored blocks.
Rows of two huge, large, medium, and small golden trophies sit on a table. The plaque on the huge trophy reads "Robotics Mayor's Cup | Winning Alliance | 2025"
Congrats to the winning teams!
Five high-schools students wearing safety glasses and t-shirts reading "Might Mechanics" pose for a photo with Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang
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A day of innovation, teamwork, and STEM spirit

"We are so happy to have you here, and we hope to do more with New York City schools and our partners to share and promote our love of STEM,” said Dean Chang. “Columbia Engineering has a long history of supporting FIRST Robotics teams with mentors–we have hosted the FIRST Robotics kickoff for multiple years and plan to do so again in 2026.” 

Dean Chang also noted that more than 40 students from the Engineering School had signed up to volunteer. “Many of our engineering students are FIRST alumni, as well. They have personally benefited from this program and they know the impact being on a robotics team in middle or high school can have on a young person's life.”

“Today’s competition is more than just a contest. It is a testament to the dedication, the creativity, and the hard work of each and every one of you,” said Ray while addressing the students. “The innovation and approaches you took to source materials and build your projects were truly remarkable – it’s very inspiring.”

To win the robot challenge, alliances of two teams would compete against another alliance–and challenge their robots with a series of tasks, from collecting blocks and disposing them in the team’s bucket, or retrieving hooked blocks to hang in the middle of the arena. The Mayor’s Cup came to an exciting conclusion when the last two teams of alliances competed for first place. Teams Saturn and Mercury, an alliance team took home the first place trophy. Both teams were made up of students from the Staten Island Technical High School. 

Four high-school students holding robotic components and smiling for a photo
Columbia student volunteers joined in on the fun, giving demonstrations and lab tours. Credit: Diane Bondareff/Columbia Engineering

Robotics demos and campus exploration

In addition to the full day of competitions, Columbia Engineering faculty members presented a series of robotics demos. Highlights included demonstrations from Hod Lipson’s Creative Machines Lab, Sunil Agrawal’s ROAR Lab, Yunzhu Li’s RoboPI Lab, and Matei Ciocarlie’s ROAM Lab. The School’s Office of Outreach also showcased a creation from their flagship program SHAPE (Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers), a summer program that offers college-level courses taught by Columbia faculty. 

Additional demos were showcased by student groups representing the Engineering School, including Columbia Space Initiative, Columbia Robotics Club, Biomedical Engineering Society, and Columbia University Formula Racing. High school students participating in the competition also had a chance to tour the School and learn more about student clubs from Columbia students who shared demos of their past work.

“Thank you to the students for really putting in the effort to make this day a reality,” said Zigman at the competition. “Many of you will go on to careers in STEM, but for those of you who don’t, you’re going to be incredibly successful because of the mindset and skills you’ve learned that will serve you well in anything you choose.”

Lead Photo Credit: Diane Bondareff/Columbia Engineering