A small step for robotics in WA state

[sciencenerd]

I have some exciting news for FIRSTers in Washington State and the community at large! My team arranged a meeting with a representative who serves in our state legislature in Olympia to explain FIRST (with a focus on FRC) to him as a potential recipient of funding. Our goal in the presentation was to help him see how FIRST teaches and inspires students. The legislator, Rep. Fred Jarrett, is a member of the education appropriations subcommittee, which puts him in a key position to bring FIRST forward before the general body.

The presentation, which was officially an hour long, went flawlessly! He was very interested and asked informed questions (Rep. Jarrett is currently a manager at Boeing in addition to his work with the government), and I believe our answers impressed him. He stuck around fifteen minutes longer than scheduled to ask questions.

What's most exciting, however, is that right there on the spot he invited us down to Olympia during their next session (which unfortunately overlaps with build season) to present to the legislature! He also gave us the names of eight (I believe) other legislators who he thought would be likely candidates to support us in our request for state funding. We are currently arranging a group presentation to them for some date in December that is TBD. We also will at that time invite them to come see the Tacoma competition, and find out what FIRST is really like. We have already invited Rep. Jarrett and he is going to try and schedule a visit.

Things are changing... by my count there are currently six states with official support for FIRST. Washington could well become the seventh, and hopefully more will soon follow suit! What an exciting time to be involved with the program.