FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information, contact:
 Fred Lydic 314.725.5645

HIGH-TECH TEENS SET TO BEGIN ROBOTICS RACE JAN. 7
Saint Louis Science Center is Scene for Launch Event

"St. Louis?.we have a problem." Now, go out and solve it.

That?s the objective as nearly 40 teams of high-tech teens gather at the Saint Louis Science Center to get their launching orders on Saturday, January 7th at 8:00 a.m. for the FIRST Robotics Competition, one of the most challenging science showdowns in the world. Combining problem-solving dexterity, teamwork and skills that mix "Apollo 13" with "Survivor," teams representing 11 states from across the Midwest, including more than 16 from the St. Louis metro area, will learn what the technological brain teaser is for 2006.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, multinational challenge that teams professionals with young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. This space age sporting event pits smart, wily robots, designed by the student teams, against each other to perform a specified set of tasks. Team members design, build, and operate the robots during the competition. They also develop the software programming requirements, marketing, graphics, and fundraising. Just like an athletic competition, the teams are also supported by pep squads, proud parents, referees and cheering fans.

"This competition drives ingenuity, collaboration and dedication to finding solutions," said Doug King, president and CEC of the Saint Louis Science Center. "Most importantly, this event is part of a significant effort to inspire our children to be workforce ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow."
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Teams will begin registration at 8:00 a.m. at the Science Center located at 5050 Oakland Avenue and receive their information packets and rules. Beginning at 9:00 a.m., the teams will attend the welcome meeting and watch the satellite broadcast explanation of this year?s challenge. At the conclusion of the broadcast, teams will pick up their parts kits and begin to solve the problem. Each team has six weeks to design, build and test their robot for the St. Louis regional competition, March 10-11 at the St. Charles Family Arena. Local teams represent public, parochial and private schools, and many are sponsored by major corporations.

The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience---and a lot of fun---for these incredible teens. In 2005, the competition reached nearly 25,000 students on close to 1,000 teams in 30 regional face-offs. Teams came from Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Great Britain, Israel and almost every U.S. state. The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the outcome of focused brainstorming, real-world teamwork, dedicated mentoring, project timelines and a drive to be the best.

Colleges, universities, corporations, businesses and individuals provide scholarships to participants. Involved engineers experience once again many of the reasons they chose engineering as a profession, and the companies they work for contribute to the community while preparing and creating their future workforce. The competition shows students that the technological fields hold many career opportunities and teaches that the basic concepts of science, math, engineering and invention are exciting, interesting and rewarding.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational, non-profit organization that aspires to transform culture by making science and related disciplines as cool for kids as sports are today. Founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, FIRST operates the FIRST Robotics Competition; FIRST LEGO League, a competition for children 9-14 years old; and FIRST Place, an innovative science and technology center, including a hands-on children?s science museum.
For more information, call 314.289.4476 or visit www.usfirst.org.

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