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State Senator Jim Carlson District 38 G-9 Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 Telephone (651) 297-8073 sen.jim.carlson@senate.mn |
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| Eagan High School Robotics Team presents FIRST to Education Committee | ||||||||||||
The Eagan High School robotics team testified before the Senate’s Education Committee this past week explaining how the team and robot, the “Broominator,” has given them real-world experience in business, math, science and technology.
The team was invited to make the presentation to the committee by Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, a retired mechanical engineer.
Calling the efforts of the robotics team “infectious,” Sen. Carlson said that once he saw the team in action: “I had to have them come here to the Capitol and share their enthusiasm with legislators struggling with how to encourage technical careers.” Committee members applauded the team’s efforts and praised their work, their self-confidence, and their management skills.
The students raised the funds from businesses and individual sponsors, and then designed, built, and programmed their five-foot robot. In only six weeks, they had to be ready to compete among 54 teams in the first Minnesota regional competition in March. The 30-member 2220 Blue Twilight team consists of four sub-teams: Mechanical/Electrical, Programming, Business, and Video.
That competition is part of an international program called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), founded by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter. To date, the program has attracted the participation of more than 28,000 students and it is growing rapidly.
FIRST is designed to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. It also promotes “gracious professionalism,” a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.
The Eagan students described their hands-on experience and how it helped build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills, while elevating the visibility and importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education. They also have a lot of fun, which is not a concept traditionally linked to science and technology.
Team member Louis Chapdelaine said that through his involvement he has “gained experience in technology that will last a lifetime.”
Kelly Hotchkiss characterized her experience on the business team as “unique and a lot of fun.”
Teacher-mentor Jim Lynch called the 2220 team “a golden chance for kids” to use their classroom instruction in math, science, and technology in a hands-on setting.
“A successful technical career requires a passion borne of experiences like this—practical application of science in a fun and competitive environment,” said Sen. Carlson. “This unique, hands-on program engages students’ minds and imaginations. It’s experiential learning at its finest. These dedicated young people are preparing themselves to do great things.”
For more information on the FIRST program, visit: www.usfirst.org; Eagan’s award-winning website: http://www.team2220.org/; or contact Sen. Carlson’s State Capitol office at 651-297-8073.
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