FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lori Trent, PAST Foundation
ltrent@pastfoundation.org
December 18, 2019
FIRST® Robotics INFINITE RECHARGESM Competition Kickoff Event Hosted by CORI, OSU & PAST
(Columbus, OH) - The Center of Robotics Innovation (CORI) is joining The Ohio State University and PAST Innovation Lab, an educational R&D prototyping facility, to host a kickoff event for the FIRST® Robotics Competition Season to be held on Saturday – January 4, 2020. The event will begin at 11:00am at the PAST Innovation Lab, located at 1003 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, Ohio.
For over 30 years, FIRST® has inspired and empowered millions of young people to innovate.
Kickoff ignites the start of the 2020 FIRST® Robotics Competition season, INFINITE RECHARGESM. Teams from around the galaxy will gather online and at more than 140 kickoff locations to watch the game reveal and celebrate the upcoming challenges, heart-pounding thrills, and perseverance of the season ahead.
INFINITE RECHARGE will challenge robotics teams to power the future.
Renewable resources of energy are everywhere, all the time. Working together in the 2020 season of FIRST® Robotics Competition, energy are everywhere, all the time. Working together in the 2020 season of FIRST® Robotics Competition, INFINITE RECHARGES, will support boundless innovation and create a society that’s empowered, inspired, and hopeful. PAST Innovation Lab will host 19 robotics teams from the Central Ohio area and is expecting 300 students at the kickoff event.
Being a part of a FIRST® team prepares students who will lead the future of engineering and automation. “I know of no other experience that is better suited to help students prepare for their futures,” said Dr. Andrew Bruening, Metrobots FIRST® Robotics Team 3324 coach and Operational Director of CORI. “Students with all types of interests and talents come together to collaborate, problem-solve and innovate technology solutions.”
About CORI The Center of Robotics Innovation (CORI) is a program of the PAST Foundation and is made up of individuals in the Central Ohio area focused on enhancing skill-based learning of robotics, to support Ohio’s need for skilled problem solvers and engineers and ultimately benefit technology job development in Ohio. Through a growing partnership of schools, teams, businesses and philanthropic organization, we use FIRST® Robotics to inspire students to explore science, technology, engineering and math in college and their professions.
We encourage local universities and businesses to engage directly with students by providing mentors for their projects, thereby increasing the likelihood that students will attend those universities and work in those businesses in the future.
About FIRST® FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen 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. FIRST provides the FIRST® Robotics Competition for high school students, FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12,
FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8, and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-3.
About PAST Foundation For nearly 20 years, PAST, a non-profit foundation, has been a leader in designing STEM education across the nation, bringing problem-based learning to educators and experiential programs to students. Recently, PAST's Innovation Lab was named as a promising example to Re- imagine High School as featured in Forbes. PAST has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for its Excellence in Innovation in the STEM 2026 vision report. PAST was the only educational entity in Ohio to be included in this publication.
PAST was also recognized in 2014, by CGI America and former President Bill Clinton for their outstanding work, and again in 2015 for their achievements in improving STEM education in rural America. In 2015, the PAST Innovation Lab was recognized by the White House Summit on High School Design.
For more information on PAST Foundation and how you can link learning to life, visit https://pastfoundation.org/ or contact Lori Trent at ltrent@pastfoundation.org.