Vecna Mentors High Schoolers in FIRST Robotics Competition

Dec. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, otherwise known as FIRST, is a program which brings high school students together with mentors from business, education, and government. The goal is to encourage young minds to pursue the sciences. Each year in September, high school-aged scientists begin forming teams and establishing leadership through brainstorming exercises, fundraising, and strategizing for the competition. Then, when the challenge is released in January, students work diligently to build a robot that runs on remote control and even, in some cases, autonomously.

Vecna is working with both CRLS and Blair High School. CRLS is a local public school that offers a specialization in Technical Arts. There is a team of 15 students who intend to compete at the regional Boston FIRST Robotics Competition. They will work every day after school until the competition to perfect their robot. Vecna will always have at least one mentor available and on-site each day after school to oversee the design process and guide students in making informed decisions. The competition will take place on March 26th – 27th at the Boston University Agganis Arena.

Another team of employees from Vecna’s Greenbelt, MD location is coaching students from Blair High School. Similar to CRLS, Blair is a public school with a math and science magnet track. The so-called Blair Robot Project team is seventy students strong and placed in the regional quarterfinals last year under Vecna’s tutelage. These students look forward to competing at the Chesapeake Regional FIRST Robotics Competition on March 17th and 18th.

Vecna is excited to participate in its fourth FRC season. Involvement with FIRST began when CEO Deborah Theobald served on the judges panel. Vecna employees then joined the ranks of mentors in collaboration with MIT. This year, twelve Vecna colleagues from different divisions are coaching students in fundraising, publicizing the event, developing the technology and competing, all with mindfulness of teamwork and sportsmanship. Vecna's involvement in this competition stems from a love of robotics coupled with the desire to share this affinity in the hopes of inspiring the next generation of roboticists.

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