FIRST Robotics
FIRST is designed to help children to discover the wonderful world of Engineering. FIRST started with 28 teams. Today FIRST has more than 1000 teams around the world. FIRST was founded in 1989 by Manchester-based inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. It is a national, nonprofit coalition developing broad range of innovative new programs to create excitement among the next generation about Science and Technology.
FIRST holds competitions in which programmable, radio-controlled "Robo-Athletes" compete in regional and national matches. The "Robo-Athletes", or robots, are built by teams made up of high school students, professional engineers, teachers, and technical experts from identical high-tech kits provided by FIRST.
FIRST wants to do for science and technology what the NBA or the Olympic Committee does for sports. Kamen says, "We seek to create a demand, among kids especially, for excellence in science and Technology."
Since 1997 more than 150 Hamtramck High School students and their sponsors employees have participated yearly in competitions held in locations that have included Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Orlando.