Robotics kids know it’s cool to be a nerd! – Thecountypress

There was a time not too long ago when the mention of robotics in school conjured up stereotypical images of brainiac nerds in white button-up short-sleeve shirts, pocket protectors and thick-rimmed eyeglasses. Not anymore!

Not in Lapeer County schools, and not in schools across the world where robotics competition is fastpaced, exciting and quite possibly a pathway to a great-paying profession. The fact is robotics is fun, bow ties are cool and participation in robot building, programming and competition has proven to stimulate young minds to be better thinkers and problem solvers.

Robotics is also helping Lapeer County-area students become better at teamwork, more career and higher education minded, and many as a result now know that they have a future in a fast-changing high-tech world.

With the number of high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields growing by the day, many schools and businesses are providing more opportunities for students to engage in robotics, building STEM skills at an earlier age than ever before.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment in STEM-related occupations is projected to grow to more than 9 million jobs between 2012 and 2022 an increase of about 1 million jobs over 2012 employment levels.

Beginning in todays edition of The County Press (on page 4A), education reporter Nicholas Pugliese will start his introduction to robotics teams at area schools for the 2019-2020 FIRST Robotics season. FIRST which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology helps create the next generation of STEM-ready workers through its innovative robotics programs, which now begin in preschool and end in high school. In todays paper, Nicholas spotlights the Dryden and LakeVille robotics programs.

Robotics programs empower students to demonstrate their competency in learning in a variety of ways. They have opportunities to solve problems that leverage the power of technology by developing and testing solutions in creative and imaginative ways. They are to able to construct knowledge and make meaning of their learning experience for themselves. Students become global collaborators by utilizing technology to make connections with others to broaden perspective and learning through the creation of original products.

Research shows that students who participate in FIRST programs are twice as likely to major in science or engineering in college, and more than 75% of FIRST alumni are currently in a STEM field as a student or professional.

FIRST Robotics Competition is a six-week competition program for high school students to build robots that can complete a task that changes every year using standard set of parts, plus any additional off-the-shelf or custom parts.

The season culminates with the FIRST Robotics Championship, to be held April 29 to May 2 at the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center) in downtown Detroit. The World Championships are expected to bring nearly 35,000 students and 700 teams to TCF and Ford Field with four levels of incredible competition. Last year, two Michigan teams were part of the winning alliance at the World Championships, the second year in a row Michigan teams came out on top.

Lapeer County robotics teams have competed at the World level, and we hope you join us to cheer on our local competitors as they begin another season with the hope of making it to the big stage. The County Press has been in Detroit to follow our local teams, and thats an experience tech-geeks shouldnt miss. The FIRST World competition is just like a sport event championship with row after row of bleacher seating as far as the eye can see in the enormous hall filled with hometown crowds cheering on their local teams.

But aside of the thrill of victory during competition, robotics curriculum helps prepare todays students to be leaders in technology that will shape the future in ways most of us cant even imagine.

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Robotics kids know it's cool to be a nerd! - Thecountypress