FIRST
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition is an exciting, nationwide competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience and a lot of fun. In 2003 the competition will reach more than 20,000 students on over 800 teams in 24 competitions. The teams come from Canada, Brazil, the U.K., and almost every U.S. state. The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the result of lots of focused brainstorming, real-world teamwork, dedicated mentoring, project timelines, and deadlines.
Colleges, universities, corporations, businesses, and individuals provide scholarships to the participants. Involved engineers experience again many of the reasons they chose engineering as a profession, and the companies they work for contribute to the community while they prepare and create their future workforce. The competition shows students that the technological fields hold many opportunities and that the basic concepts of science, math, engineering, and invention are exciting and interesting.
For more information about FIRST, click here.
FIRST impact on the team/community
FIRST has given Clark Magnet High School its only official “team” in any competitive field. The school does not have a sports team and the robotics team is the closest thing to a sports team it has. Our robot is also a well-known presence in our school. Our robot has had a role in the senior graduation ceremonies for the past few years. For example, during year’s graduation ceremony our robot lifted a chair and set it into a row to commemorate the passing of one of our teachers. We also try to tie robotics into people in our lives at school. Last year’s robot was named GLAGH for “Good Luck and Good Hunting,” a phrase often stated by the same teacher whom we commemorated at last year’s graduation. The entire faculty was deeply touched by this gesture, and they support the robotics team with much enthusiasm.
FIRST has affected other schools in the community. Crescenta Valley High School also has a robotics program, as does James Madison High School and La Cañada High School. FIRST has taught students in these schools’ teams to cooperate with each other; James Madison shares the GCC machine shop with us, Crescenta Valley allows us the use of their auto-shop, and La Cañada (Team 980) allows us to use some of their special tools. We have additionally helped other teams, too. We have helped Monroe with their programming and let other schools borrow control boards and other tools in the past. We have, in effect, created a little community amongst FIRST teams.
