Members of South High School Rebel Robotics Team #2638 attended the Optimum Technology Innovation Summit at the Optimum headquarters in Bethpage on Oct. 1. During this regional event, students had an opportunity to showcase their robot, discuss their experiences through the FIRST robotics program, and network with leaders from Optimum and other leading technology companies.

For the past several years, Rebel Robotics has been the proud recipient of an Optimum sponsorship to support the team’s participation in regional and national FIRST competitions. This year, Rebel Robotics has received a $1,500 sponsorship from Optimum to offset costs for the 2026 FIRST competition season in the spring.

“Rebel Robotics is proud of our continued partnership with Optimum as they help expose our students to many fields of emerging technology and support our team financially,” says John Motchkavitz, lead mentor for Rebel Robotics and business/technology department head at South High.

In addition to showcasing their robot during the Tech Expo portion of the summit, students were invited to attend speaker sessions and workshops. Presenters included developers, engineers, and vendors speaking on topics such as product innovation, tools evolution, field services, and cybersecurity.