27 Canadian teams head to FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, MO

World's future science and technology stars come together April 24 to 27

TORONTO, April 24, 2013 /CNW/ - FIRST Robotics Canada announced 27 teams from three provinces will represent some of our nation's best young minds in science and technology at this week's FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Championship in St. Louis, MO. The Canadian teams join more than 370 from around the globe in a fierce-yet-friendly three-day Frisbee-shooting, pyramid-climbing competition that tests their skills, collaboration and creativity.  Students will vie for the opportunity to win more than $16 million in FIRST-specific scholarships to the world's leading universities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), including the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and MIT.  Teams earned invitations at regional competitions; Canadian regional competitions took place in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec over the past few weeks.

Canadian teams headed to St. Louis are:

Alberta
Alberta Longhorn Robotics Society, Calgary
Ernest Manning High School, Calgary

Ontario
Assumption Secondary School, Windsor
Burlington Central High School, Burlington
Crescent School, Toronto
Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, Mississauga
Kinetic Knights, Kincardine
King's Christian Collegiate, Oakville
Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute, Kingston
Lo-Ellen Robotics, Sudbury
Near North Student Robotics Initiative, North Bay
Oakville Community Robotics, Oakville
Orchard Park Secondary School, Stoney Creek
Runnymede Collegiate Institute, Toronto
Simbiotics, St. Catharines
Sinclair Secondary School, Whitby
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, Grimsby
St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School, Oakville
Theory6, Mississauga
W.A.F.F.L.E.S Community Robotics, Kingston
WE FIRST, London (two teams)
Westlane Secondary School, Niagara Falls

Quebec
College Regina Assumpta, Montreal
École Honoré-Mercier, Montreal
Ecole secondaire La Frontalière (CS des Hauts-Cantons), Coaticook
Loyola High School, Montreal

Canadian FRC regional competitions brought together 121 teams of 25 to 30 students, aged 14 to 18, who designed and built robots in six weeks, guided by volunteer science and technology experts.  Regional finals are organized by FIRST Robotics Canada, sponsored by BlackBerry® and Hatch, and supported by FedDev Ontario (Southern Ontario) and the Province of Ontario - Ministry of Education.

"Our competitors continually amaze us with their ingenuity and this year was no different," said Mark Breadner, FIRST Robotics Canada's Executive Director. "FRC gives students a taste of what it's like to solve real world problems using robotics.  It inspires students to pursue futures in STEM fields, and encourages them to consider the ethics of competition and practice the ideas of 'gracious professionalism' and 'co-opertition.'"

Real-world engineering experience

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Canada coordinates friendly competition programs for students aged 6 to18, interested in science and technology, as part of a global network of FIRST organizations.  Guided by mentor-experts, students learn how to work as a team, approach issues and discover technology and engineering careers.

Additional information about FIRST Robotics Canada and its programs can be found at www.firstroboticscanada.org.

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SOURCE: FIRST Robotics Canada

Media Contact:
James Francis
FIRST Robotics Canada
[email protected]
519.851.4988