12,000 Students from Around the World to Compete in High-Energy Robotic Matches During Annual FIRST^® Championship in St. Louis, Mo.

FIRST Celebrates Its 25^th Year of Inspiring Young People to Become Leaders in Science and Technology

(BUSINESS WIRE) — April 21, 2014 — FIRST^®:

WHO

• Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to inspire young people’s interest in science and technology
• 12,000 students from 38 countries will celebrate innovation and compete with their custom-built robots
• Special guests: a musical guest to deliver a surprise not to be missed; Dr. John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for Science, NASA; among others
• Expected attendance: 30,000 friends, parents, Mentors, Coaches, Volunteers, Sponsors, and general public

WHAT

• FIRST Championship is the culmination of student teams who participated in regional FIRST competitions held across the U.S. and around the world, beginning last fall
• During spirited, high-intensity matches, students put their custom-built robots to the test with the help of Mentors and professional engineers
• The final high-energy round of robotic showdowns happens on Saturday afternoon, April 26
• FIRST Championship offers three levels of competition and one student exhibition for students ages 6-18:
  
  
  • Junior FIRST^® LEGO^® League (Jr.FLL^®) World Festival Expo (ages 6-9);
  • FIRST^® LEGO^® League (FLL^®) World Festival (ages 9-14; 9-16 outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico);
  • FIRST^® Tech Challenge (FTC^®) World Championship (ages 12-18); and
  • FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC^®) Championship (ages 14-18).

PHOTO OPS:

• Students dressed in spirited, colorful team uniforms, tinkering with robots that they built; competing in riveting fast-paced matches.
• Students ages 6-14 working together and sharing innovative solutions for handling natural disasters and other weather-related, real-world problems.
• Lynn Tilton, CEO of Jane Cosmetics, and celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves empowering female students to feel confident and courageous.
• America Makes 3D Printing Playground will provide kids of all ages with a hands-on opportunity to experience 3D printing: custom cookie cutters, wind turbine design, personalized gear sculpture, and glow-in-the-dark jewelry!
• Innovation Zone: Join United States Patent and Trademark office experts in an activity called “Race to the Patent.”

STORY LEADS INCLUDE:

• Encouraging increased female interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) – FIRST is engaging more all-female teams in a field typically dominated by men;
• STEM workforce development – More than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies rely on FIRST to fuel the workforce pipeline with future innovative problem solvers;
• Creating the next generation of innovators – FIRST participants tackle real-world problems, and take on engineering challenges under strict guidelines and hard deadlines – with no instructions. On their own, with guidance from adult Mentors, FIRST students come up with innovative solutions and learn that failure is part of the learning process.