An offer from Arial Phone Corporation to sponsor a FIRST team, through Princeton University, prompted the start of the program. Glenn Northey from Princeton University called Trenton High School and spoke to David Cipolloni. The two met with Tom Pirelli, the CEO of Arial Phone, and the program began to take shape. 1999 was the year the Arial Tornadoes was formed and the first year for the team to compete in both a regional and national competition. Through the efforts of the sponsor, and students/staff at Princeton U, the Arial Tornadoes has grown to 42 members.
During the 2003 regional competition at Rutgers University our team was approached by Pat McFarland of Bristol Myers Squibb Corporation. Mr. McFarland was impressed with the team spirit our students demonstrated and offered to sponsor the Tornadoes for the 2003 - 2004 school year.

The first team consisted of only 7 Trenton Central High students, 4 Princeton University Students, 2 Trenton Central High faculty members and 1 Princeton University faculty member. In their first year the Tornadoes built Twister and competed in a regional competition at Drexel University in Philadelphia and the national competition in Florida.
By the school year 2000-2001 the team was made up of 10 Trenton Central High School students, 4 University Students, 3 Trenton Central High School faculty members and 1 Princeton University faculty member. In their second year the Tornadoes built Acrobat and once again competed in both the regional and national competitions.
For the 2001-2002 school year the team consists of 42 active members. There are 24 Trenton Central High School students,12 Princeton University Students, 2 Mercer County Community College students, 3 Trenton Central High School faculty members and 1 Princeton University faculty member. For the third year the Tornadoes will compete in two regional competitions, Long Island New York and Philadelphia Pa.
In the 2003-04 season, Tornadoes 381, won the Philadelphia Regional and received the honor of going to the National Competition in Atlanta Georgia. At the Nationals we placed 41st out of 73 teams in the Newton Division.

For the 2002-2003 school year the Tornadoes team will number in excess of 40 members, both from Trenton High school and Princeton University. The team will field their robot, Sponge Bot, in both the New Brunswick and Philadelphia regional competitions.
For the 2003-2004 school year the Tornadoes will once again consist of a team in excess of 40 members. The team is scheduled to compete in two regional events, one in their home town of Trenton, New Jersey, and the other in the city of Philadelphia where the team first began its involvement with FIRST. This year Bristol Myers Squibb and Sarnoff Corporation will sponsor the Tornadoes.