04 Jan FIRST® Robotics Competition 2016 Kansas City Kickoff Event
MEDIA ADVISORY
More than 75,000 high school students worldwide eager for unveiling of 2016 Robotics Challenge: FIRST STRONGHOLDSM
More than 60 regional teams to attend local kickoff event at Garmin on Saturday, Jan. 9
Who: FIRST ® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) will be joined by numerous public figures to launch the 2016 season of the FIRST® Robotics Competition with a worldwide kickoff event originating from Manchester, N.H.
- The Kansas City kickoff event will include 63 teams. This event is one of 114 total kickoff events taking place worldwide.
- The 2016 season will include more than 3,000 teams (75,000 high-school students), grades 9-12, participating in 118 Regional and District events.
- At kickoff, teams will be shown the FIRST STRONGHOLDSM game field and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components – with limited instructions.
- Teams will have six weeks to design and build a robot to meet this year’s engineering challenge.
Dignitaries and public figures will deliver remarks on video, including:
- Dean Kamen, President, DEKA Research & Development and Founder, FIRST;
- Woodie Flowers, FIRST Distinguished Advisor, and Co-Chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board; Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
- Donald E. Bossi, President, FIRST;
- 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 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 each team’s display of Gracious Professionalism®. Through their participation, students experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation; build well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership; and qualify for over $25 million in college scholarships.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 9, 2016
Live broadcast: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Central Time, Comcast NBCUniversal Broadcast
Where*:
- OPEN TO ALL MEDIA: If you would like to attend as media, please contact Callen Fairchild Zind, 816.564.9511 or czind@kcstem.org. The event takes place at Garmin International, 1200 E. 151st, Olathe, Kan.
- 114 Kickoffs in cities worldwide: U.S. and international FIRST teams will tune in via Comcast NBCUniversal broadcast and webcast. Access the webcast via http://comca.st/frc2016
- To locate teams in your area, visit http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search or contact your FIRST Regional Director http://www.firstinspires.org/find-local-support.
- For a listing of all local Kickoff locations, visit: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/kickoff.
Photo Opp.: FIRST will unveil the details of the new 2016 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 Link: http://comca.st/frc2016
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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 $25 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. 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.firstinspires.org
About KC STEM Alliance
KC STEM Alliance is a collaborative network of educators, business partners and organizations working to generate a robust workforce of professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math for the greater Kansas City region. KC STEM Alliance is the regional representative for FIRST Robotics and FIRST LEGO LEAGUE for Western Missouri and Kansas.
