Putting Science and Technology FIRST

How You Can Help Inspire the Next Generation of Engineers

by Profiles Magazine Staff

Thomas Friedman highlighted the “quiet crisis” in American society in The World Is Flat. The lack of interest and participation of our young people in mathematics and science classes is of major concern, recently cited by the White House as an aspect of our education system that needs attention immediately. This crisis particularly affects women and minorities. So, as our current workforce ages and retires, there are too few younger engineers and technicians to replace them.

Dean Kamen, the noted inventor and keynote speaker at our PTC/USER World Event 2007, recognized this in 1989 and founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).  This year, more than 125,000 K-12 students participated in FIRST programs, all designed to inspire them to pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Additionally, these students learn invaluable life skills in teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, project management, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. 

FIRST emphasizes and encourages the inclusion of young women, minority, and disadvantaged students. Across the country, there are now thousands of young women involved with teams, some of whom compete on all-girl teams, and they are planning on careers in astrophysics, medicine, engineering, and similar fields.

When they graduate from high school, FIRST alumni qualify for more than 400 scholarships from 76 institutions worth more than $8 million. After completing their education, many join FIRST sponsors as high-impact employees. Ultimately, the goal of FIRST is to change the culture and “create a world in which science and technology are celebrated…where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.”

PTC recognizes the tremendous impact FIRST has had and will continue to have on the technologists of tomorrow and has demonstrated its strong support by becoming the FIRST Collaboration Sponsor of the 2008 FIRST Robotics Competition.  PTC is standing up and hosting a Windchill system for use by the 2008 FIRST Robotics teams.  Beyond this, PTC will make available Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0 Schools Edition for any FIRST Robotics team.  PTC and PTC/USER strongly encourage you to become a volunteer supporter of a FIRST team or event.  Volunteers and mentors are designers, programmers, engineers, scientists, teachers, and technologists, as well as non-technical professionals.

You can get involved with a team or event in any of FIRST’s four programs.  The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) are designed for high-school students, FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) is designed for middle-school children, and Junior FIRST LEGO League (JFLL) serves 6 to 9 year-olds.  FIRST uses robotics activities to demonstrate the application of mathematics, science, computer science, graphics, art, and other school subjects. Students build computer-controlled robots and develop strategies to play specially designed games. FLL and JFLL require students to complete research projects, papers, and presentations.

A Tampa-area FIRST team demonstrating their robot at the PTC/USER World Event 2007.

After the “build season,” teams compete at events that combine the energy of a rock concert with the fast-paced action of a major sports event.  FIRST, however, inspires participants to be more than competitors byencouraging “Gracious Professionalism” where competitors routinely demonstrate extraordinary levels of sportsmanship and assistance to other teams.

Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor and the Pappalardo Professor of Engineering at MIT, has volunteered with FIRST in many roles for years and years.  He participates so extensively because he believes he learns more and derives more out of the experience than he has been asked to contribute.

To join Woodie, PTC, and more than 65,000 other adult volunteers who support FIRST, visit Get Involved on the FIRST web site.  To view a video about the FIRST Robotics competition including footage from the competition and testimonials from students and mentors please take a look at the "Amazing Things Happen" video available through the YouTube Channel at www.ptc.com/go/usfirst/youtubevideo.

For some current volunteers’ experiences, read the FIRST Spotlights section of the current FIRST Newsletter and visit the impact section of the FIRST web site to learn more about the way young people’s lives are affected by being involved with compassionate generous mentors who help them meet the challenges presented by FIRST.

PTC
www.ptc.com

FIRST
www.usfirst.org