Bishop-Wisecarver Reaffirms Commitment to STEM with Another Year of Diamond-Level and Local Sponsorship of the FIRST ® Robotics Competition
PITTSBURG, Calif. (PRWEB) February 27, 2018 -- Bishop-Wisecarver, a trusted industrial automation company offering proven motion solutions that are expertly designed and delivered to perform, today announced its ongoing support of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education by being a Diamond Supplier of the 2018 FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. Bishop-Wisecarver has been a proud supporter and sponsor of FIRST® for more than ten years because it recognizes the importance of inspiring young people's interests and participation in science and technology in the early K-12 years.
"Our job at FIRST is to develop the next generation of problem solvers who need STEM and digital literacy skills to solve the world's biggest challenges," said FIRST President Donald E. Bossi. "We do this by offering a project-based learning experience with the support of companies like Bishop-Wisecarver. With its generous support at the Diamond Supplier level, we are able to supply young innovators with the tools they need to get a jump on successful careers."
"Today's students are our future innovators, yet they often lack access to the latest technology and tools that can make them successful both inside school and when they enter the workforce," said Pamela Kan, president of Bishop-Wisecarver. "That is why we have been sponsoring this amazing program for more than 10 years, and it has been extremely gratifying to see first-hand these talented young students getting the real-world learning skills they need to make a difference in the world."
In addition to the Diamond Supplier sponsorship, Bishop-Wisecarver also supports local FIRST programs like the Pittsburg High School robotics team. Beth Traub, a teacher and mentor for Pittsburg High School commented, "The FIRST program has given access to technology, tools and resources that our school and students could never have been exposed to during the traditional school and academic model - there's no time in the day or in the curriculum to be able to branch into these specialties. However, due to the support of Bishop-Wisecarver and others, we have students building and using major shop tools, as well as getting to use many in-depth industrial-level capabilities of technologies (rather than just the academic overview of them!) such as computer drafting, 3D printing, website development, video creation and much more. We are forever grateful for this opportunity and are pleased to 'pay it forward' this year by taking on the responsibility to assist four neighboring high school teams also competing in the FIRST challenge."
About the Robotics Competition
On January 6, 2018, FIRST teams were shown the new FIRST® POWER UPSM game playing field and received a Kickoff Kit made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components - with limited instructions. FIRST teams can also choose additional Kit of Parts items from the FIRST Choice program and download software and use vouchers from their Virtual Kits.
Working with adult mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season's engineering challenge. Once these young inventors create a robot, their teams participate in competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.
Teams from countries around the world will compete in 85 District Events, 10 District Championships, and 63 Regional Events in seven countries - all leading up to the 2018 FIRST Championship events in Houston, Texas, April 18-21, 2018, and Detroit, Michigan, April 25-28, 2018. This season, participating FIRST Robotics Competition high-school students are eligible to apply for $50 million in scholarships from more than 200 FIRST® Scholarship Providers.
About Bishop-Wisecarver
Bishop-Wisecarver's proven motion solutions are expertly designed and delivered to perform, enabling customers to solve their toughest industrial automation challenges. Leveraging nearly 70 years of experience, the company has earned the reputation of providing unmatched quality, reliability, service and engineering support for every stage of a customer's design cycle. Combining long-lasting performance with ease of installation, Bishop-Wisecarver products offer the lowest cost of ownership for a wide variety of applications ranging from Aerospace to Medical to X-Y-Z systems and more. No matter the application or extreme environmental conditions, Bishop-Wisecarver designs innovative solutions from concept to completion, from prototype to production, on time and on budget. To learn more, please visit http://www.bwc.com.
About FIRST®
Accomplished 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. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $50 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to http://www.firstinspires.org
ERIKA POWELSON, [email protected], +1 (408) 781-4981, [email protected]
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