A team of students mainly from Traverse City Area Public Schools’ SCI-MA-TECH program, housed at Traverse City Central High School, are currently hard at work building a state of the art robot with direction from local professionals working in engineering, software, automotive, construction, and education capacities. After six weeks of intense building and testing in the robotics lab, the team’s robot will compete against other Michigan high schools in a “varsity sport of the mind” with hopes of progressing to the national level of competition.
This year FIRST is piloting a new program of seven district competitions across Michigan with the top teams moving on to the Michigan state finals. Traverse City Central High School has been selected to host a FIRST Robotics District Competition on February 27 – 28, 2009. Forty teams from throughout Michigan will travel to Traverse City to compete. FIRST Robotics competitions are similar to professional sporting events. A special playing field is erected on the gymnasium floor complete with large projector screens for video and a professional sound system for music and play-by-play announcements. On Friday, February 27th the competition begins with practice sessions in the morning and competition beginning around lunchtime. The competition concludes on Saturday, February 28th with the crowning of a district champion and the distribution of various other awards. Competition hours are from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and will be held at the TC Central High School Gymnasium, 1150 Milliken Drive. Admission is free and open to the general public.
TCAPS’ SCI-MA-TECH Program is an enhanced science, math and technology program that enriches the quality of education by inspiring and challenging students through an individualized and integrated curriculum. SCI-MA-TECH has a rigorous curriculum that engages students through participation in exciting and innovative explorations designed to fully prepare them for success in post-secondary education and beyond. The SCI-MA-TECH FIRST Robotics Team is just one example of how this program accomplished its goals.
In addition to SCI-MA-TECH teachers who coach and mentor TC Central High School’s FIRST Robotics Team, the team is also mentored by area professionals who volunteer their time and pass on their experience to the students. Some area professionals include: Jay Norris, President of Integrated Controls, Inc., Tony McGinty, Senior Software Development Manager at Alcatel-Lucent, David T. Hanawalt AIA, Architect, Fred Schaafsma and Ray Landfair, retired engineers, Dr. Todd Kennell, and Keith Kelly, NMC Instructor. These professionals dedicate their time because as Tony McGinty says, “Helping our students experience what it is really like to solve complex problems by working together under a deadline and in competition against others shows them just how exhilarating a career in technology can be.”
Each year, FIRST robotics teams raise money for parts for the robot, tournament registration fees, and travel. TC Central High School’s team this year is sponsored by a grant from the ACE Fund at the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, Team Elmer’s, The Kennell Family, Traverse City Products, Inc., Dr. Peter Fedor, Grand Traverse Radiologists, PC, the Hanawalt Family, Covell Funeral Homes and Donald Schwendemann.
Nationally over 1,500 teams competed in 41 regional FIRST Robotics Competitions last year. A study conducted by Brandeis University and funded by the Ford Foundation concluded that students who participated in FIRST were more than 3 times as likely to specifically major in engineering, significantly more likely to expect to achieve a post graduate degree andmore than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.
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., FIRSTdesigns accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRSTRobotics Competition. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
Media interested in meeting with the team to observe the build process prior to the competition should contact John Failor at 933-3554 or failorjo@csh.tcaps.net.