Project Grant 80NSSC25K7947

FIRST INSPIRES YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS BY ENGAGING THEM IN EXCITING MENTOR-BASED PROGRAMS THAT BUILD SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS THAT INSPIRE INNOVATION AND THAT FOSTER WELL-ROUNDED LIFE CAPABILITIES INCLUDING SELF-CONFIDENCE COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP. THRILLING ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS SUCH AS THE BUCKEYE REGIONAL LEAVE STUDENTS WITH A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY CAN DO ANYTHING WITH THEIR COLLECTIVE SKILLS LEADERSHIP AND CONFIDENCE AND THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR FUTURE. THROUGH ROBOTICS CHALLENGES DESIGNED TO IGNITE CURIOSITY AND ENCOURAGE EXPLORATION FIRST SUPPORTS THE GOALS OF NASA S ROBOTICS ALLIANCE PROJECT: 1) TO INCREASE INTEREST IN ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS DISCIPLINES AMONG YOUTH AND 2) TO CREATE AN INSPIRED EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE. FIRST PROGRAMS ALSO PROMOTE THE NASA STRATEGIC GOALS OF ATTRACTING STUDENTS TO ENTER STEM FIELDS AND TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION PROGRAM GAIN: AUTHENTIC REAL-WORLD PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH HANDS-ON SKILL DEVELOPMENT. DISCOVERY OF SKILLS AND APPROACHES THEY WILL SEE IN INDUSTRY THROUGH MENTOR INTERACTIONS. WORK-BASED LEARNING THROUGH SIMULATED JOB ROLES WHERE THEY APPROACH PROBLEMS TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR THE TEAM AND THEIR COMMUNITY. ACCESS TO INDUSTRY MENTORS THAT GUIDE STUDENTS IN THEIR LEARNING UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEIR LEARNING APPLIES TO STUDENT CAREER PATHWAYS SIMULATED WORK EXPERIENCES PROVIDING CAREER PREPARATION AND TRAINING EVALUATION DATA FROM A MULTI-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY HAS INDICATED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS FROM FIRST PARTICIPANTS: 2.3 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE INTERESTED IN STEM. 92% OF FRC PARTICIPANTS ARE MORE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING COLLEGE. 83% OF FRC PARTICIPANTS ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SCIENTIST OR ENGINEER. 81% DECLARED A MAJOR IN A STEM FIELD. 90% DEVELOPED PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. 90% DEVELOPED TEAMWORK SKILLS. 85% DEVELOPED CREATIVE THINKING. 83% MORE CONFIDENT IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. 78% MORE CONFIDENT IN TIME MANAGEMENT. 74% MORE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE COURSES. 72% GAINED ACCESS TO MENTORS AND PEERS IN STEM.