One of the best programs I ever participated in during middle and high school was FIRST Robotics. It not only taught me the joys of engineering and teamwork, but it also implicitly empowered me. I’ve met FIRST alumni at USC and we instantly bond. I know that USC has a strong robotics program (socially assistive robotics was pioneered by a USC professor, Dr. Maja Mataric) for its students and a strong outreach program through robotics where students mentor teams and volunteer at events for FIRST robotics and other robotics programs to inspire students in the surrounding USC community about the possibilities of robotics, engineering, and more.
Watch the live stream here – this week is the FIRST Championships where teams from across the world compete!
The live stream is only available TODAY and TOMORROW. Experts sound like sport casters reeling off the scores and analyzing the results. This is “sports for the mind”. Remember, all these students are in middle or high school. Unbelievable.
What’s even more unbelievable is that they know how to compete fiercely on the field but be gracious professionals off the field. This can mean helping other teams, providing them parts if they’re struggling to find some, and mentoring younger teams. Gracious Professionalism is a unique value emphasized by the FIRST organization that differentiates it from many other science and engineering outreach activities.
Published on April 29th, 2017
Last updated on August 29th, 2017