FIRST is an acronym for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology". This non-profit organization was founded in 1989 by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen to interest and inspire students in mathematics, science and technology. Since then, FIRST has existed with an imperative, singular focus: to excite more young people about the fun, accessibility, and importance of science and engineering. Click here for more Information

What is the Robotics Competition?

The First Robotics Competition is an annual design contest organized by FIRST . It brings professionals and young people together in teams to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way.

Early in January the rules for the new competition are presented and posted on the Intranet. Each team of students & professionals has just 6 weeks to study the rules, brainstorm, design, fabricate, assemble test, debug and finally ship their robot. It's a very challenging, stressful, fun & educational six weeks.

Then the teams enter in regional and/or nationalcompetitions. The National Competition held each year at Disney's Epcot Center is host to over 17,000 students & professionals. Some have described it at "the Olympics of Technology". In addition to the actual robotic contests there are different awards (lightest, best looking, most innovative feature, etc.). Many college scholarships are awarded to qualified students as well. Different speakers at the opening or closing ceremony might include a Governor, NASA Administrator or Nobel prize winners. It is truly an awe-inspiring event.

There has been tremendous growth in participation:

• 1992: 1 competition, 23 teams, 13 states (0 from S.C.)
• 2001: 14 competitions, 535 teams, 42 states (5 from S.C.), Canada, and Brazil.

2002 will be our third year in the FIRST Robotics competition. Click here for the team history. The impact of the team's success has been the driving energy in a self-imposed mandate by the schools,college, industry and community to bring science and technology to the students as an exciting and fascinating choice for a career path.

Partnership

While the industry partner, Bosch, initiated the involvement with FIRST, Dorchester School District Two and Trident Technical College were quick to step up to the challenges of the partnership. Robert Bosch Corporation sponsors the Robotics Team 342 with the entry fee and the use of their training facilities to design and build the robot. The Leadership Team consists of mentors and instructors from the Bosch organization, educators and administrators from the school district, and instructors from the college.

Dorchester School District Two and Trident Technical College have embraced the vision of the FIRST mission and have actively sought out funding. They have developed a curriculum to support the necessary skills to be successful in the design and building of a robot that is capable of robust competition on a national level.

To further enhance this vision, this partnership has sought out an additional partner with the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Apprentice Training in registering our structured robotics program as a Youth Apprenticeship.

The Standards were written and accepted by all parties, and the junior and senior students on the team receive technical training. Upon completion, they also receive a Certificate of Completion of Youth Apprenticeship in the trade of "FIRST Robotics National Competition". In addition, students receive college credit at Trident Technical College for the classes they complete as part of their apprentice training. These college classes are filled with teachers as well as high-level administrators from the Dorchester District Two schools. This enthusiasm for the robotics team and the supporting curriculum is felt throughout the district as a curriculum and materials are being developed to implement the FIRST LEGO League for the 2001- 2002 school year.

 

Experienced high school students returning to Team 342 from last year will take on leadership roles in the brainstorming, designing, and construction phases of this year's robot. Their dedication and team spirit will inspire the new members of the team.

Many of the students that participate in the Team 342 Robotics program go on to continue their education in the science and/or technology field. The Robert Bosch Corporation supports these students with apprenticeship opportunities and co-op programs. Some of the team's graduate-students are now attending colleges like Penn State, Clemson and Georgia Tech and plan to return to Bosch to co-op as part of his college curriculum to become a mechanical engineer. Another student applied and was accepted in the three-year Bosch Apprenticeship for the trade of Industrial Machine Systems Technician. This highly skilled trade opportunity has a scholarship value of $65,000.

The partnership of Team 342 promotes the FIRST Robotics Competition and all supporting activities as a mind and technical-skill sport. Students completing the Robotics Curriculum with a satisfactory grade earn a letter for their jacket, as would an athlete in any other school-sponsored sport.

 

Team 342 has impacted the lives of everyone involved, from the mentors to the students. For freshman students on the team, the experiences they have had while on Team 342 has sparked interest in areas of study such as Auto-CAD, which normally might not have been covered in school curriculum.

The impact of Team 342 does not stop there. The professional engineers that serve as mentors to the students have also felt the impact. Team Leader Mike Bryan indicated that the FIRST Robotics competition has given him the opportunity to think outside of the box. He stated, "The learning environment that exits is not just for the students. Although the main focus is to ensure the students learn teamwork and the engineering technologies, the mentors learn a great deal from the students. Their minds aren't cluttered with how things can't be done, and it is amazing how simple a solution to a problem can be when the student explains his or her idea."

Design CAD Instructor for Trident Technical College Alan Kalameja says, "I am glad to take what we do here and put it in my lesson plans. I am pleased to give students college credit."