FIRST: For Insipration and Recognition of Science and Technology

FIRST



Vision

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."

Mission

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

U.S. FIRST in Michigan / Update

Posted: Monday, 24 November 2008 4:52PM Michigan FIRST Robotics Realigning

Michigan's FIRST Robotics competition this winter will undergo major changes in an effort to extend the competition to teams who find it difficult to muster tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships. Michigan is the first state in the country to adopt the new pilot district event model. The plan divides Michigan into 16 districts, where the first stage of competition will take place. That cuts travel cost and encourages local support and mentorship. The districts are the Western UP, the Eastern UP, Lake Huron North, Lake Huron Central, Grand Traverse, West Michigan, Saginaw Bay, Greater Genesee, Macomb Cunty, Oakland County, Detroit, Western Wayne, Washtenaw County, Greater Lansing, Greater Monroe and Southwest Michigan. The district event model, running from January to April, will include seven district events and one state championship event, to be held at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. During the pilot year only Michigan teams will be allowed to compete in the state. Those teams are also free to register to compete at other traditional FRC Regional events and also qualify fo the FIRST Championship in Atlanta, Ga. in April. Michigan successfully piloted the 2008 Rookie Pilot Event at Kettering University which proved that a quality FIRST experience can be achieved at a much lower cost than a traditional FIRST Regional. This event served as the prototype for the new eventstructure. The organizaiton also established FIRST in Michigan, a new 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to delivering a quality experience for all FIRST programs in the state of Michigan. Its main focus is the growth of new teams and sustainability of existing teams. The new event structure will see each team pay a package price of $5,000, which includes a kit of parts and participation in two district events. The state champion entry fee will be $4,000. Eighteen teams from the Michigan State Championship will qualify to advance to the world championship. Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (an acronym for For Inspiration And Recognition of Science in Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation for science and technology among young people. It offers the FIRST Robotics competition for high school students and the FIRST Lego League for children 9-14 and the FIRST Junior Lego League for children 6-9. There are currently 118 FIRST Robotics teams in Michigan, with 150 high schools involved, and another 310 FIRST Lego League teams with 5,000 participants. About 20 percent of the student body this fall at Kettering University's School of Engineering are FIRST Robotics alumni. More at www.usfirst.org.

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