Anyone acquainted with American education today knows there is a great deal left to be desired. Students are too often bored or otherwise disconnected. They live with smartphones and computer games outside school and have to gear down to chalkboards and voice-only lectures in the classroom. Despite great intentions and money invested, national test scores are flat or down. School science programs are lagging or non-existent.
In contrast, a robotics competition, founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, has inspired students to use their math and science skills to solve real-world problems. Called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), this program, involving science, engineering, and technology skills, started small in 1992 with 28 teams competing in New Hampshire. The program has expanded over the years to include various age groups participating in the LEGO League and the more evolved FIRST Technology Challenge, in addition to the core FIRST Robotics Competition.
These programs are supported by 3,000 companies, institutions, professional societies, and private citizens. That support is more than financial; 85,000 volunteers assist in the programs.
This year’s program in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta involved 150,000 kids. In the 2008/2009 season, FIRST saw 17,594 teams and 16,374 robots. Each team has to solve a complex set of problems, and the solution is evaluated through competitive testing in front of a large audience.