|
Who: |
FIRST ® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) will be joined by public figures to launch the 2014 season of the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) with a worldwide Kickoff event originating from Manchester, N.H. |
||
| -- The 2014 season will include more than 2,700 teams (nearly 70,000 high-school students) participating in 98 Regional and District events. All teams, grades 9-12, will be shown the new 2014 robotics game field and challenge for the first time and will receive an exciting, new Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, and a mix of automation components – with limited instructions. | |||
| -- Teams will have six weeks to design and build robots to meet this year’s engineering challenge. | |||
| Dignitaries and public figures will deliver remarks on video and in person, including: | |||
|
-- Dean Kamen, President, DEKA Research & Development and Founder, FIRST; |
|||
|
-- Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST Executive Advisory Board Chairman & Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; |
|||
|
-- Donald E. Bossi, President, FIRST; |
|||
|
-- Sheri S. McCoy, Co-Chair, Board of Directors, FIRST; |
|||
| -- Jim Heppelmann, President and Chief Executive Officer, PTC; | |||
| -- Maggie Hassan, Governor of New Hampshire; | |||
| -- John Lynch, Former Governor of New Hampshire; | |||
| -- Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator for New Hampshire; and | |||
|
-- FIRST students & special guests |
|||
|
What: |
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an annual competition that challenges high-school students–working alongside professional Mentors–to construct a robot of their own, and compete in the ultimate Sport for the Mind™ that measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of teamwork and collaboration, and Gracious Professionalism®. Through their participation in FRC, students experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation, and qualify for over $18 million in college scholarships. |
||
|
When: |
Saturday, January 4, 2014 | ||
| 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Local Remarks (LIVE Manchester, N.H. only) | |||
| 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, NASA Broadcast | |||
|
Where*: |
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), 2500 North River Road, Manchester, N.H. *OPEN TO ALL MEDIA: If you would like to attend as media, please contact Haley Dunn at hdunn@usfirst.org. |
||
|
-- 94 Kickoffs in 92 cities worldwide: FIRST teams will tune in via NASA-TV broadcast and webcast. Access the NASA webcast via http://robotics.nasa.gov or http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/robotics/first/kickoff-2014/. |
|||
|
-- To locate teams in your area, visit http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on. |
|||
|
2014 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff Event Locations: |
|||
|
-- For a listing of local Kickoff locations, visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/local-kickoff-information. |
|||
|
Photo Opp.: |
FIRST will unveil the details of the new 2014 robotics competition game after the speaker program. Students take measurements on the new game field and inspect the challenge in order to develop strategies for robot construction, and to determine if they will play offense, defense, or both. |
||
Broadcast Links:
http://robotics.nasa.gov or http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/robotics/first/kickoff-2014/.
Media Notes:
- High resolution photos of previous FIRST competitions are available at the FRC Photo Gallery: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/marketing-tools/frc/2013-photo-gallery.
- Photos available day of event after 2 p.m. Eastern Time by contacting hdunn@usfirst.org.
- Interviews with speakers at the Kickoff event in Manchester, N.H. available by contacting: Haley Dunn at 603-494-5688 or Cheryl Walsh at 978-407-8028 on the day of the event.
About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $18 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
