High-school students from New York State, the UK and Turkey, including ten lower Hudson Valley area schools will have the opportunity to showcase their hard work after an intense six weeks of designing and building an original robot in the FIRST Robotics Competition (www.firstinspires.org). From March 7-9, at Rockland Community College’s Eugene Levy Fieldhouse, 48 teams of students and engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). They will compete for recognition that rewards design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics community preparing young people for the future. More than 1,000 students will compete at the Hudson Valley Regional to earn a spot at the international FIRST Championship to be held April 17-20 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
“Our events are the culmination of countless hours of preparation by our teams of students, coaches, and mentors,” said Collin Fultz, senior program director of FIRST Robotics Competition, adding, “The event is part competition and part celebration of what our teams have achieved this year. While only a few teams at the event will be crowned champions, all our participants leave the season as better problem-solvers, more gracious professionals, and more prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.”
With a limited timeframe, students work with professional engineering mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a Kit of Parts and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.
For more information about FIRST in New York State, contact Janice Martino, Senior Regional Director at jmartino@firstinspires.org.
