Michigan Engineering Zone Fundraiser

[kramarczyk]

The Michigan Engineering Zone (The MEZ) needs your votes in November to win $250,000! The Pepsi Refresh Project is giving away $1.3 million each month this year to help fund worthy causes, and the winners are determined by how many votes they get at
www.refresheverything.com.


What is The MEZ?

The Michigan Engineering Zone in downtown Detroit is a partnership between the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Detroit Public Schools and FIRST Robotics. The MEZ is a fully-equipped robotics workspace and academic support facility where Detroit area high school students learn and experience engineering. The students work in teams with their peers, teachers, and University of Michigan engineering student and alumni mentors to design, build and test robots for FIRST Robotics competitions. Beginning in 2010, 200+ students have used the facility in downtown Detroit. For 2011, we plan to double the number of students participating, expand our mentoring, and add a tutoring program.

Why support The MEZ?

Detroit struggles with the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the nation. Only 25% of students in Detroit graduate from high school. As research shows, low income and minority youth participants in FIRST Robotics competitions are more likely to pursue interests in science and math, graduate from high school, and go on to college to major in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the twenty-first century, one of our greatest challenges is developing a workforce that can compete on the global stage where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are driving our economy. Through hands-on learning, role-modeling, tutoring, and mentoring, The MEZ seeks to help the youth of Detroit build bright futures for themselves and their city.

Help us get out the vote:

· Email Vote4MEZ@umich.edu or join The MEZ on Facebook for daily reminders to vote and campaign progress reports.
· Vote for The MEZ at www.refresheverything.com. Vote once or – better -- EVERY DAY in November. Vote multiple times using your different email addresses.
· Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to vote every day, too.

The MEZ represents stability and sustainability for Detroit teams. Thanks to the support of the MEZ, Finney Highlander Robotics had a significantly better season than we would have otherwise. Please help us support them and make a difference in Detroit.

For more information on the MEZ, please check out this terrific video by U of M that tells the story of the impact of the MEZ on teams in Detroit.
Segment 1 - At the MEZ in the final days before ship.
Segment 2 - At the Cass Tech District Event with MEZ teams.