(From NNPS)

It takes a village – and a heap of nuts and bolts – to build a robot. At Menchville High School, that translates into 17 students and a dozen mentors laboring for weeks over an original design. High-tech sponsors underwrite much of the cost and help a concept become reality. Students’ parents cater to needs like hot meals and rides and make sure homework gets done. Moral support comes from all sides.
All the efforts support the school’s entry in the FIRST Robotics Competition. FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is an organization founded in 1989 to boost interest in math, science, and technology. At the high-school level, it sponsors competitions for which teams have to design and build a robot tailored to perform specific tasks in a game with detailed rules. The game is not a mechanical demolition derby. It’s a fantasy of the organizers. This year’s game is Breakaway. Its description takes up 13 pages (of 171) in the competition manual. It requires robots to maneuver on a 27-by-54-foot field with obstacles, tunnels, and towers....

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(From Connect a Million Minds)

"Eighty percent of jobs created in the next decade will require math and science skills. However, today's students show declining interest in these subjects, with eighty-four percent of middle school students saying they would rather clean their room, eat their vegetables, go to the dentist or take out the garbage than learn math or science.
There's clearly an immediate need for youth to develop skills in science, technology, engineering and math. A failure to do so puts our country, our communities and our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. America is at risk of losing its leadership in technology and innovation as baby boomer retirements deplete the science and technology workforce by fifty percent over the next decade."

Connect A Million Minds is partnering with organizations like FIRST to ensure America's bright future.

(From US FIRST)

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes." -Dean Kamen, Founder
Mission
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

FIRST is pleased to announce the availability of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring special guest, Keanu Reeves.