Sixth Annual FIRST Robotics Competition Half Hollow Hills Invitational Aims to Continue Legacy of STEM-Fueled Excitement Among Districts

Competition Highlights Benefits of Robotics Programs for Students, Local Businesses and the Community

While the dedicated volunteers at School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) are hard at work planning the first ever SBPLI Long Island Regional double header, the Half Hollow Hills High School FIRST^®Robotics Competition team is ramping up for its Sixth Annual Half Hollow Hills (HHH) Invitational. This year’s event, the final event of the 2016-2017 FIRST^®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Long Island season, will take place on Saturday, November 18 at the district’s west campus.

As one of many robotics programs supported by SBPLI, which aims to help immerse schools in the rapidly growing area of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, the HHH Invitational is designed to showcase the benefits of robotics programs to students, schools, communities and local businesses.

During the event, students and coaches from 24 Long Island school districts will participate in an enjoyable and engaging learning environment that enhances problem-solving skills, cooperation and teamwork. Participating teams will compete under the rules and guidelines of the 2017 FIRSTRobotics Competition challenge, dubbed FIRST STEAMWORKS™. During the Invitational, which mimics the tournament-style competition of the SBPLI Long Island Regional, two 3-team alliances will take to the playing field to complete a variety of tasks to score points and win the round, with the hopes of eventually advancing to eliminations and finals.

Residents, teachers, administrators and business leaders from the surrounding areas are invited to attend and discover first-hand the benefits that FIRST Robotics programs provide to students. This event is also the perfect opportunity for schools and organizations interested in starting a team to meet with SBPLI leaders and speak with participants to gather more information.

Following the Invitational, teams will start to prepare for the new season, which kicks-off on January 6, 2018 at Stony Brook University.

For more information on SBPLI or the FIRST Robotics Competition, or to become a sponsor, please visit www.sbpli-lifirst.org.

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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 over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $30 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST^® LEGO^® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Jr. for Grades K-4. 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.firstinspires.org.

About School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.
School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses. His goal was to provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce, which resulted in the formation of over 100 partnerships. In 1999, SBPLI brought the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to Long Island, which featured just eight FIRST Robotics Competition high school teams. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition has grown to over 50 teams competing each year. SBPLI also hosts Long Island’s annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the FIRST LEGO League Junior Expos, in which over 2,000 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. In 2016, SBPLI added FIRST Tech Challenge to its roster of programs. For more information about the programs, or to learn how to become a sponsor, visit www.sbpli-lifirst.org.