[Barry Bonzack]

New article out a week ago.

NASA grants GCTC robotics team $6,000

Oklahoma teams receive $90,000, more financing than any other state

Shawnee News-Star

12/01/2007



OKLAHOMA CITY -- Fifteen Oklahoma high school rookie robotics teams received NASA Program Growth Grants of $6,000 each to compete in regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competitions.

"This is very exciting for our state," said John Herrington, Rocketplane pilot and former NASA astronaut. "One of NASA's missions is to inspire the next generation of explorers. These grants will clearly benefit the students of our state by providing resources to promote math and science education through the use of robotics."

NASA awarded 66 growth grants to first-year teams in the United States for the 2008 season. The grants provide financing for registration costs and for the team to build a robot for competition in one regional FIRST event.

Research has shown FIRST Robotics competitors are 35 percent more likely to attend college. In addition, they are more than twice as likely to pursue a career in science or technology and nearly four times as likely to pursue a career in engineering.

FIRST challenges teams of high school students to use their creativity, knowledge and leadership skills to build robots to compete against other robots.

For the first time, Oklahoma City will host one of the qualifying events as part of the state's efforts to meet the Oklahoma 's growing needs for a workforce with mathematics and science skills.

More than 3,000 competitors are expected to participate in the regional event March 20-22 at the Cox Business Services Convention Center .

Oklahoma NASA Program Growth Grant recipients are: Gordon Cooper Technology Center; Fairview High School; Sapulpa High School; Duncan High School; Edmond Santa Fe High; Morris High School; Elgin Public Schools; Caddo Kiowa Technology Center, Fort Cobb; Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa; Taloga High School; Wright Christian Academy, Tulsa; Broken Arrow Senior High School; Oklahoma City Homeschool Robotics Team; Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton; and Idabel High School.