Local teams participating are: 3138 Innovators (Vandalia), 3266 Robots R Us (Eaton), 5811 BONDS (Dayton), 6032 Pirate Robotics (West Carrollton) 6936 Vault (Beavercreek), and 7434 Beyond The Stars (Dayton). On Feb. 28, the competition will run on the main floor of the Nutter Center from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on the Feb. 29 it will run 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The competition is free and open to the public.
Along with the FIRST Robotics Competition Miami Valley Regional, a FIRST LEGO League Jr. Expo will take place. FIRST LEGO League Jr. is a design-and-build program for teams of two to six children between the ages of 6 and 10. Twenty FIRST LEGO League Jr. teams from the greater Dayton area will show off their BOOMTOWN BUILD season through their LEGO models and their Show Me posters. Team members from middle school FIRST LEGO League teams and high school FIRST Tech Challenge teams will also be on hand to demo their robots on Saturday.
Since 1988, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen, has inspired young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
“Since 2016, the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has supported FIRST Robotics competition teams in Ohio,” said Katie Dunn, assistant regional director and Educational Outreach Office FIRST Robotics Competition program manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. “It’s our goal to show students how fun math and science can be and to encourage them to pursue careers in a STEM-related field.”
The Miami Valley Regional is one of two regionals in Ohio. From each competition, five teams will advance to FIRST Championship in Detroit in April.
For more information, visit http://wpafbstem.com/pages/k12_FRC_overview.html.
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