Wishing to prepare students for the type of work industry needs, Rockwell Automation became the sole sponsor of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition "Innovation in Control Award" for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The Innovation in Control Award celebrates the most unique control system or application of control components to provide innovative machine functions for a team's robot. Based in Manchester, N.H. and founded by Dean Kamen, FIRST's goal is to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. In the 2006-07 season, FIRST will reach over 130,000 young people in 45 countries.
"Rockwell Automation is proud to champion young people's interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education," said Rockwell Automation CEO Keith Nosbusch." We hope that by engaging with Rockwell Automation engineers and other technical professionals in a hands-on, real-world experience, these young people will be encouraged to pursue careers in engineering and technology."
The FIRST Robotics Competition program teams high-school students with mentors to design, build and test a robot to meet an annual engineering challenge. Over 1,300 teams in seven countries will participate in 2007.
FIRST's research has shown that 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. In addition, interest in internship and employment opportunities with sponsoring companies increased.
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