First robotics the academic affairs office at the NASA marshall space flight center (msfc) will partner with high school(s), located within and/or that compete within the msfc six state region…

First robotics the academic affairs office at the NASA marshall space flight center (msfc) will partner with high school(s), located within and/or that compete within the msfc six state region (alabama, arkansas, iowa, louisiana, missouri, and tennessee) to sponsor for inspiration and recognition of science and technology (first) robotics teams for the 2008-2009 first regional and national competitions. The first robotics competition is a national contest that immerses high school students in the exciting world of engineering. Teaming with engineers from government, industry, and universities, students get hands-on experience in the engineering profession. The initiative is intended to encourage students to pursue careers in engineering or science related fields. The selected high school(s) will sponsor student teams who will build and participate in the first robotics competition(s). The first program is a highly competitive robotic building competition designed for high school students. The program begins in the fall with organization and project development sessions. The official kick-off is in early january and this project requires six weeks of intense effort to design, develop, and build a remotely (and autonomously) operated vehicle for a sports based play-off with a different objective each year. First is more than designing and building a robot from a standard set of raw materials. IT involves such diverse aspects of project management as financing the project, coordinating logistics, arranging press coverage, documenting the impact the team has made on the community and/or community involvement, graphic animation of the project, maintaining a web presence, and documenting partnerships with industry. The rookie team is required to send a maximum of one (1) representative minimum (including educators, parents, and/or engineers) to the national kick-off workshop, which is held in manchester, new hampshire, in january 2009. At this 2-day workshop, attendees will participate in training, learn the details of the competition, and receive their robot parts kit. Team members (including educators, parents, students, engineers, and other sponsors) will view the kick-off event live on NASA TV or by webcast at their local school. The performance targets for the first robotics team are: o competitive robot built to meet the criteria(s) of the current game, o project animation, and o production of a journal documenting the project life cycle.