FIRST® Kicks Off World’s Largest Celebration
Of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Students
[SNS 타임즈- LA] FIRST Kicks off World’s Largest Celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Students.
▲ FIRST Kicks Off World's Largest Celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Students. Championship Presenting Sponsor Qualcomm Incorporated and Others Celebrate Young Inventors from 33 Countries at FIRST Championship in Houston. (Photo: FIRST)
This week, more than 15,000 students from around the world traveled to Houston, putting their innovation skills to the test at the annual FIRST Championship Presented by Qualcomm Incorporated, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park and Discovery Green.
The four-day event, attended by nearly 30,000 people, came down to a heart-pounding conclusion Saturday night in front of thousands of cheering fans at Minute Maid Park when teams from FIRST® Robotics Competition and FIRST® Tech Challenge competed in match finals. Four teams from Atascadero, California; Tucson, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; and Berkeley, California earned the FIRST Robotics Competition Winning Alliance award for this year’s game, FIRST STEAMWORKSSM. Teams from Sun River, Montana; San Diego, California; and Pearl, Mississippi, won the FIRST Tech Challenge VELOCITY VORTEXSM Winning Alliance.
Over 15,000 students, ages 6-18, participated in FIRST Championship Houston.
FIRST Founder Dean Kamen said “This year, we added second championship event. That is because we can’t contain the energy and the excitement of FIRST Championship to one city. In a world unwinding, it’s critical to develop more kids with the toolset, the vision and the ability to work together to deal with difficult problems. At FIRST, we inspire enthusiastic young people to learn, work hard and one day – change the world”
Esben Staerk Jørgensen, President, LEGO Education, said “Did you know that everything you have ever learned in your life builds on your experience as a child? That is why LEGO Education, the LEGO Foundation, together with FIRST and other organizations, work together so that children have a playful learning experience. Play literally helps build our brains because when children play, they learn skills for life”
Among the participants, many earned honors for design excellence, competitive play, research, business plans, website design, and teamwork. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
In Houston, nearly 700 teams from 33 countries competed in the four FIRST programs: FIRST® LEGO® League (grades 4 to 8, ages 9 to 14 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; ages 9 to 16 outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico); FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7 to 12, ages 12 to 18); FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18). In addition to the high-energy robotics matches, 60 teams participated in the FIRST® LEGO League Jr. (grades K-4, ages 6 to 9) World Festival Expo.
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