SEATTLE, June 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews Space, Inc. sponsored two FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Teams this year for the FIRST Robotics Competition as part of its initiative to promote interest in science and engineering.
During the FIRST Robotics Competition, teams of students around the world are given six weeks to create a robot from a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. The annual competition gives students the opportunity to solve complex technical challenges while building professional skills such as teamwork and communications. Students work with mentors to build their robots. They enter their completed robots into regional competitions, and the winners move on to the national competition.
Team 2222 from Lincoln High School in Tacoma and Team 2046 from Tahoma High School in Maple Valley competed in the Pacific Northwest Regional competition held in Portland, Oregon. While both teams enjoyed a very successful rookie season, the Tahoma Robotics team received the "Rookie All Star" Award in the regional and went on to place 11th out of 86 division teams in the Championship event held in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Andrews Space is proud to be a sponsor of these two high school teams," said Marian Joh, CEO of Andrews Space, Inc. "Our company is focused on reaching out and promoting science and engineering education at all levels. FIRST is an outstanding way to excite middle and high school students into pursuing engineering careers and we are thrilled that these students performed so well."
Both the Lincoln and Tahoma teams are continuing to work on robots for demonstration and for promotional purposes to raise community awareness about FIRST. More information on their team can be found at http://www.team2222.org.
About FIRST
Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
Andrews Space, Inc. was founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and developer of advanced space technologies. To learn more, please visit: www.andrews-space.com.
The Andrews Space, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1539