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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 to testify before Senate committee | ||||||||||||
Eagan High School students will testify before the Minnesota Senate Education Committee on April 23, accompanied by their advisor and their robot, “The Broominator.” The students designed, built and programmed their five-foot robot to compete among 54 teams in the first Minnesota regional competition last month.
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 is also rooted in “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 will describe their efforts to elevate the visibility and importance of science, technology, engineering and math education. Their hands-on experience has helped build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills. They also have a lot of fun, which is not a concept traditionally linked to science and technology.
Competitions are staged at major sporting events. There is music, fans in the stands, an exuberant announcer and a large electronic scoreboard. Six robots—three to a team—take to the playing field, where referees in striped jerseys monitor the action. The robots race around the periphery, scoring points for each quarter-field they travel through. They have remote-controlled arms (the Eagan robot’s arm can extend to nine feet) that lift, push and pull. The target is an overhead rack of huge inflated balls. Tasks include plucking the balls off the rack, pushing them onto the playing floor, picking them up and replacing them on the rack. All of that in just two minutes.
“A successful technical career requires a passion for the field that is borne of experiences like this—practical application of science in a fun and competitive environment,” said Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, an engineer himself. “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.”
WHO: Eagan High School FIRST Robotics Team 2220 and advisor Jim Lynch
WHAT: Informational testimony before the Minnesota Senate Education Committee on an innovative approach to teaching science, technology, math and engineering
WHERE: Room 15, Minnesota State Capitol
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 3 p.m.
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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