Windsor, ON – Thirty teams representing 1000 high school students from across North America invade the St. Denis Centre with their robots on the weekend of March 31st to April 1st for the 4th Annual Windsor Essex Great Lakes Event FIRST Robotics Competition.
They are part of the FIRST Robotics Competition that partners students with professional engineers, programmers, skilled workers and entrepreneurs over a six week period to design and build 120 pound robots that compete in an arena. In the past, these robots shot basketballs and Frisbees 200 feet into scoring baskets and climbed 10-foot steel pyramids. This year’s challenge is called Steamworks.
The public is encouraged to attend Friday and Saturday at the St. Denis Centre from 8:30-4:30pm – admission is FREE.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) is supported by 4000 companies worldwide including over half of all FORTUNE 500 companies such as Boeing, Bombardier, Chrysler and Google.
Dozens of local companies are supporting the tournament and supporting local teams as a way to bridge the skills mismatch that is hampering industry and also fueling regional youth unemployment.
Students who participate in FIRST are twice as likely to attend university and college and twice as likely to major in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
WEtech Alliance – a Regional Innovation Centre – spearheaded the growth of FIRST Robotics in Windsor and Essex and led the bid to host the Robotics Regional. “The success of our regional industry depends upon our ability to cultivate the next generation of skilled workers, innovators and technology entrepreneurs,” says Yvonne Pilon, President and CEO of WEtech Alliance.
“FIRST Robotics partners industry, the university and college with schools to better prepare our young people for a 21st century knowledge economy,” says Dr. Irek Kusmierczyk, Director of Partnerships at WEtech Alliance. “Each robotics team is run like a tech startup with future programmers and engineers working alongside future graphic designers, business and public relations graduates”.
“FIRST believes in enabling young people to grow up to solve the world’s most pressing problems, be strong citizens, and build a brighter future for themselves and their community. A new video from FIRST proclaims “this isn’t a robot, it’s a lesson in humility, hard work and collaboration. It’s cross fit – for the brain. It’s the sport that will help us win tomorrow. It’s software to program ourselves to cure cancer, to build a clean engine or to set foot on Mars. FIRST is a machine to build the people that will change the world. Bold statement yes, but in my opinion not an exaggeration at all,” says Larry Koscielski, Chair of Windsor Essex FIRST Robotics.
For more information please contact:
WHEN: March 31 – April 1, 2017 starting 8:30am
WHERE: St. Denis Centre @ the University of Windsor
WHO: 1000 high school students on 30 teams and 2500 spectators each day
FUN FACTS:
- Tournament pumps up to $1 million into local economy
- Star Power: tournament involves over 20 Regional Judges who are executives and senior professionals from major companies and organizations
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FIRSTRoboticsWE
Follow the conversation with hashtag #WEGLR
About WEtech Alliance
WEtech Alliance is Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent’s Technology Accelerator; an industry-led non-profit organization focused on driving the growth and success of technology centric companies and entrepreneurs through leadership, connections and promotion. WEtech strives to identify, find solutions and foster the development of the technology industry in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent by engaging companies in the technology and innovation sector, as well as companies who utilize technology.
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For further information or to set up an interview, please contact:
Irek Kusmierczyk, PhD
Director of Partnerships, WEtech Alliance
519.990.3132
