Swarm stands for South West Albany Robotics Maniacs. The team is made up of students from both schools, along with other in person, online, and home schools. We also have students from nearby, smaller districts. We believe that everyone interested should have a chance to join a STEAM team like FIRST.
Our Students have opportunities to build STEAM skills like:
Mechanical
Electrical, Hydraulics
Programming
CAD (Computer Aided Design)
Marketing
Graphic Art
Photography
Videography
Media
Website Design
We also foster life skills like:
Leadership
Teamwork
Public Speaking
Finance
Marketing
Fundraising
Writing
Business Planning
We want to emphasize that school comes first and FIRST comes second. That means we will be checking in with students regarding their grades to make sure they are maintaining at least a 2.9 cumulative GPA, and are staying on top of homework and other assignments. We have a dedicated quiet space for homework that is supervised by a mentor and we also offer peer tutoring if needed. Students are welcome to bring and work on schoolwork during meetings.
Our 2025 Mentors


Carrie Falotico (Lead Mentor) | Jeremy Bishop (Lead Mentor) |
Michelle Balmeo | Chris Berry |
Alanna Bishop | Neil Forester |
Ed Buchner | Brian MacInnes |
Aaron Falotico | Amanda Miles |
Tina Helm | Carol Rothauge |
Robin Hobbensiefken | Eric Shilling |
Pete Peterson | Kevin Campbell |
Caleb Shilling | Nima Khalily |
Pete Peterson | Caleb Shilling |