Largest Competition of Young Technology Leaders Heads to St. Louis

An unprecedented number of student-driven teams will converge in St. Louis Wednesday through Saturday to vie in the world's largest science and technology competition, which will award nearly $15 million in scholarships.  It will be the first time the event's organizers—FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) nonprofit organization—will host the international competition in St. Louis.

FIRST activities will be held at various times at the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center. Events scheduled Thursday through Saturday are free and open to the public.

The FIRST Championship combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources and time limits, teams build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. 

Nearly 11,000 young American and international students, who have worked alongside 90,000-plus coaches, mentors and volunteers, have earned the right to compete at this championship. Among them are two local teams:  one representing and other representing through 50-plus students.

This week's event showcases student teams from the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC-big robots) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC- small robots), both for high-school-age students; FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for elementary and middle-school students; and Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6- to 9-year-olds.  

The Eureka FTC team is called the Boson Subatomic Particles, team No. 3658. The Rockwood Robotics team for FRC is named the Roc-bots, team No. 1098. 

"We've seen a 25 percent growth in the number of teams across all of our programs this year," said FIRST spokesperson Dennis Garrigan.

"The increased number of competition sponsors also designates that companies and institutions are solidly behind the concept of fostering innovation in youth."

This year's competition is sponsored by a range of companies and organizations:  AT&T, Siemens, the U.S. Air Force, Abbott, Autodesk, BAE Systems, SAIC and United Technologies, The Boeing Company, Coca-Cola, glacéau vitaminwater, the National Defense Education Program (NDEP), FedEx Corporation, NASA, UL,  Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening, Google, Maryville University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Central Intelligence Agency, Honda, and Rolls Royce.

FIRST founder Dean Kamen is an inventor and entrepreneur. The organization was launched in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. According to the group's background materials, the non-profit team now based in Manchester, NH, designs accessible programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge and life skills.

Editor's Note:  Some event judging will occur Wednesday, but that element is not open to the public. All individual teams will register by Wednesday, and will not be assigned a time and date to compete for qualifying matches until that evening. Come back to Patch later this week for a final competition schedule. In the meantime, here is an initial schedule. For those who cannot physically attend the event, NASA is webcasting it.