FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Governor Granholm to Visit FIRST Robotics High School Youth on the Playing Field of Science and Technology
When: Gov. Granholm visit, 9:00-10:00 a.m., March 10
Competition, all day March 10-11
Where: Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center, Ypsilanti, Mich.
DETROIT, Mich., March 8, 2006 - In support of her goal to mold Michigan into the nation's leading technology, R&D and engineering region, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm will help kick off the first of three FIRST Robotics Regionals in Michigan by attending the Great Lakes Regional at Eastern Michigan University, Friday morning.
Some Michigan teams, all of which are made up of high school students, have participated in the nationwide FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) program for 10 years. The program has seen phenomenal growth and success in Michigan, with one out of every four high schools in the state now having students participating on FIRST Robotics teams - giving Michigan the highest percentage of school participation of any state of the United States. This year, for the first time, the state reached 100 teams, comprising a total of approximately 4,000 individuals.
High school youths locally and across the country teamed up with adult engineers and mentors during a six-week design and build phase to prepare for "robot games" - which provides a glimpse of our educational, technological and economic future. The last four consecutive years, Michigan teams have won the national championship, which this year takes place April 27-29, in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.
"The FIRST Robotics program, and the hands-on educational and mentoring experience it provides, is key to developing future great innovators, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs from our state," said Robert W. Swanson, Acting Director of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG), the leading sponsor of Michigan's three regionals. "The state of Michigan in partnership with high tech companies is committed to making an investment in the state's future workforce. These young people, their mentors and FIRST alumni, help enrich a skilled and high-tech workforce in Michigan that's among the best in the nation."
This week's Great Lakes Regional will be followed by the Detroit Regional at WayneStateUniversity, March 17-18, and the West Michigan Regional at GrandValleyStateUniversity, March 31-April 1. Teams from several states will come to Michigan to compete with their multi-functional robots in a "game" planned by FIRST founder and inventor, Dean Kamen, with the help of Woody Flowers from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Dave Lavery, who directs exploratory robotics for NASA. FIRST is in its 18th year of operation.
"FIRST Robotics has a strong success rate in Michigan, which has been further strengthened by the fact that 100 teams have signed up to compete in 2006," said Francois Castaing, member of the FIRST Board of Directors. "The 100 teams can only do what they do, thanks to very generous and heavily-involved corporate sponsors. And because we have more teams in Michigan than ever before, even during tough economic times, even more youth will be positively influenced by the incredibly professional and technical hands-on learning experience of FIRST Robotics."
At each regional, teams compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament on a large playing field; complete with referees, cheerleaders, scoreboards and time clocks. Participants also compete for other awards, including for community service, marketing, website design and computer animation.
The partnerships developed between schools, businesses, and universities provide an exchange of resources and talent, highlighting mutual needs, building cooperation, and exposing students to new career choices. The result is a fun, exciting and stimulating environment in which all participants discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real world applications.
The FIRST experience provides youth with specific, positive, tangible results by being part of FIRST - like students' improved academic performance through hands on education; increased class attendance, improved graduation statistics and internship opportunities for students at both sponsoring and non-sponsoring companies.
FIRST students are also eligible for more than $8 million in college scholarships nationwide.
Media Contacts:
Tom Lang
734-953-3500
cell 734-812-2922
248-642-2700 ext 223
|