The recipients of 2011-2012 FLL (FIRST Lego League) and For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) grants have been announced by The Chrysler Foundation.
In the funding round, each FIRST team will be awarded $6,625, while the FLL teams will be given $500. On the whole, The Chrysler Foundation will offer $133,000 in grants to 22 teams from Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and Arizona. It will grant additional funds to teams that take part in the FIRST Lego League World Festival or FIRST Robotics Competition Championship. The funds will be utilized to meet the costs related to items like registration fees, team apparel, materials and parts.
According to Jody Trapasso, President of The Chrysler Foundation, the Chrysler Group and the Chrysler Foundation are happy to promote students’ interest in mathematics, science, engineering and technology. For the past 16 years, The Chrysler Foundation has granted over $1.7 million to support the robotics program and teams of the FIRST.
Mark Chernoby, Vice President, Executive Coordinator and Head of Vehicle Engineering at Chrysler Group stated that smart and talented engineers are essential for the industry's future. The FIRST program provides a suitable platform for encouraging students’ interest in science and engineering.
Each FIRST team includes about 25 high school students who will be given six weeks time to design and develop a robot that can carry out specific tasks. The FLL teams include 10 students, aged from 9 to 14, with one adult coach. For the competition, teams will need to program a robot to score points on the playing field and must come up with a solution to the problems they have identified.
Source: http://www.usfirst.org/