Thousands of Midwest Teens Exhibit Prowess for Building, Design and Strategy at FIRST Robotics Competition Students Learn Mechanics and Maturity, Design and Determination From Professional Mentors at Midwest FIRST Regional, March 25-27 CHICAGO, March22 /PRNewswire/ -- High school students from 14 states and more than 50 area school districts have been tasked with the challenge and excitement of designing and building an original robot in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition ( http://www.usfirst.org/ ). This week, at Northwestern University, six weeks of intense design and construction will culminate in the Midwest Regional FIRST competition where 56 teams of students and engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics and technology. They will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses and communities. Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, who recently introduced the Segway(TM) Human Transporter (HT), FIRST was created to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools and their communities. Currently in its thirteenth year, the FIRST Robotics Competition anticipates its largest season ever with more than 900 teams from Brazil, the U.K., Canada and nearly every state in the United States competing in 26 different regional competitions. More than 1,500 students will compete at the Midwest Regional to earn a spot at the Championship held April 15-17 at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. "The FIRST Robotics Competition is not just about the design and building of sophisticated robots. These students also develop maturity, professionalism, teamwork and mentoring skills that enrich their lives," said Dean Kamen. "Many of our students develop an affinity for their science and math courses, go on to study engineering, technology or science in college, andalso pursue employment opportunities with sponsoring companies." This season, participating FIRST students are also eligible to apply for over $3.8 million in scholarships from leading universities, colleges and companies. All scholarship announcements will be made at the FIRST Championship in April. Over a six-week timeframe, students work with their professional mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a "kit of parts" and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration and the determination of students. In this year's game, "FIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar," robots are designed to collectand pass 13" balls to the human player to then shoot them into fixed and moveable goals. There are 30" balls on the playing field that can be placed on top of any goal by a robot, which will double the point value in the goal. Additionally, robots may attempt to "hang" from a 10' bar -- all in less than two minutes. Since its beginning, FIRST has had a positive impact on students and academic communities. Research has shown that participating FIRST students' attitudes about science, math, teamwork and the working world significantly improved after participating. The students' self image also improved, particularly in minority groups. Also, interest in internship and employment opportunities with sponsoring companies increased. FIRST Midwest sponsors and volunteers come from some of the most highly regarded organizations in the area, including Comau-Pico, DeVry University and Motorola. Sponsors provide resources including time and talent from professional mentors, services, equipment, financial contributions and volunteers. 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, their schools and their communities. 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 the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO(TM) League for children 9-14 years old. To learn more about FIRST and the 2004 FIRST Robotics Competition go to http://www.usfirst.org/ . DATASOURCE: FIRST Robotics CONTACT: Marisa Russo of DeVry, +1-312-502-1314, Web site: http://www.usfirst.org/ http://www.devry.com/

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