Six Hawaii schools travel to St. Louis for FIRST Championships
11,064 students from 29 countries will compete on six playing fields in the 550,000 square foot America's Center and Edward Jones Dome during the FIRST Robotics Championship for the chance to earn the championship title.
Hawaii's teams earned the right to compete at the global level by their exemplary performance at the FIRST in Hawaii Regional Competition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Stan Sheriff Center last month, as well as other regional tournaments throughout the country.
Teams worked late last night in their pits and began gathering at 7:00 a.m. this morning to prepare for competition rounds which begin Friday morning.
Hawaii teams gathered in St. Louis this week and were welcomed with an official reception Wednesday evening, hosted by the Friends of Hawaii Robotics and Oceanic Time Warner Cable.
Select photos are available, upon request.
A team of volunteer support staff from Hawaii are accompanying the teams.
Students at the competition will be treated with a private concert by musician will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, as well as remarks by renowned actor Morgan Freeman.
FIRST Robotics is one of six programs which are supported by the Hawai‘i Robotics Organizing Committee (ROC), including FIRST, FIRST LEGO League, Underwater ROV, Botball, VEX Robotics and Micro Robotics.
Recognizing the importance of promoting robotics education at an early age and sustaining students’ interest in STEM education throughout their schooling, Hawai‘i’s six robotics programs joined together to form the Hawai‘i Robotics Organizing Committee (ROC). The six of the robotics programs are coordinating efforts to promote robotics education in elementary, middle and high schools statewide.
