TEENS FROM LONG ISLAND, NYC AREA AND BRAZIL SHOWCASE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SKILLS AT FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION — “ULTIMATE ASCENTSM”

[Kings Park, NY, March 19, 2013] ― High-school students from Long Island, New York City-area schools and Brazil will have the opportunity to showcase their hard work after an intense six weeks of designing and building an original robot in the 14th annual Long Island Regional FIRST^ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition (www.usfirst.org), presented by School-Business Partnerships of New York, Inc. (SBPLI). Next month, at Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex in Hempstead, New York, 50 teams of students and engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics, and technology. They will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities.

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, who introduced the IBOT Mobility System and the Segway^ Human Transporter (HT), FIRST was created to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools, and their communities. Now in its 22nd season, the FIRST Robotics Competition anticipates close to 2,548 teams from every state in the U.S. and 16 countries worldwide to compete in 58 Regional Events and 17 District Competitions. More than 2,000 students will compete at the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition to earn a spot at the Championship to be held April 24-27 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo.

The 2013 game, ULTIMATE ASCENT^SM, is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to throw as many flying discs into their goals as possible during the two-minute, 15-second match. Discs thrown into higher goals score Alliances more points. Matches end with robots attempting to climb up pyramids located near the middle of the field.

“FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the country,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development and FIRST Founder, adding, “There is no stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem solvers, the creators of the future.”

“We are extremely excited to see what our participants for the FIRST Robotics Competition have come up with this year,” said Ginny Greco, FRC Director, SBPLI. “This event is an imperative stepping stone for students. For some, it’s a chance to take part in making a vision become a reality. For others, it opens the door to possibilities that are few and far between these days, like scholarships or job opportunities. Most importantly, this competition is a chance to instill within students a vital concept to achieving success; anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

This season, students participating in FIRST Robotics are eligible to apply for more than $16 million in scholarships from 150 scholarship providers. Over a six-week timeframe, students work with professional engineering mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a “kit of parts” and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

The Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition’s sponsors and volunteers come from some of the most highly regarded organizations in the area, including FESTO Corporation, BAE Systems, Northrop-Grumman, Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, Farmingdale State College and School Construction Consultants, among others. Sponsors provide resources including time and talent from professional mentors, services, equipment, financial contributions, and volunteers.

For more information, visit www.spbli.org.

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School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) was founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses that would provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce. Over 100 partnerships have been formed. In 1999, SBPLI brought the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition to Long Island, in which eight high school teams participated. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition has grown to 50 teams competing each year. SBPLI also hosts Long Island’s annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the Junior FIRST LEGO League Expo, in which approximately 1,000 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. For more information, visit www.sbpli.org.

About FIRST^

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $16 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^ Robotics Competition (FRC^) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^ Tech Challenge (FTC^) for Grades 7-12; FIRST^ LEGO^ League (FLL^) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST^ LEGO^League (Jr.FLL^) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism^ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

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FIRST^ and FRC^ are registered trademarks, and Gracious Professionalism^™ is a common law trademark, of the United States Foundation For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (U.S. FIRST).