Putting math and science to work
In Oklahoma, high school football brings communities together. These days, robotics is giving sports a run for its money.
In March, 61 teams of high school students from across our region gathered in Oklahoma City as part of the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition. One of those teams, the Sprockets, competed in the FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston.
Since January, thousands of teams from around the country have been tackling engineering challenges by designing and building robots to prepare for the competitions.
I got involved with FIRST
— For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — 10 years ago. I had just started working at Boeing in Oklahoma when I saw a notice in the company newsletter asking for volunteers to mentor FIRST teams. I figured if I signed up, I could help a local team get funded.
FIRST was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen because the number of American students in science and technology fields was shrinking. Kamen knew the jobs of tomorrow were in computers and engineering, medicine and science. The STEM decline had to be reversed to keep America competitive in the world economy. So, he set off to “compete for the hearts and minds of kids with the excitement of the Super Bowl.”
The inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition was held in 1992, featuring 28 teams. Today, the four FIRST programs reach more than 500,000 students each year.
While having fun, students learn about robotics and engineering, make friends and build skills necessary for success. Over the years, I realized FIRST could serve as an avenue for kids who cared about STEM, but didn’t know how to translate that into action. I saw how it helped students apply their math and science lessons to the real world.
The hands-on engineering and design work gives participants a boost as they enter college. And it helps them develop workplace skills, such as conflict resolution and time management.
Now, we are seeing students who participated return as mentors. In 2009, while I mentored a FIRST team, I also ran the Boeing Oklahoma Engineer for A Day program where students from local high schools shadow engineers to learn about careers. During a visit, I met Haylie Zarate, a student who was participating in FIRST Robotics on another team.
Haylie eventually graduated from college with an engineering degree and now works as an electrical engineer on my team. She is paying those opportunities forward by volunteering as a FIRST mentor.
Haylie and I are part of more than 400 Boeing employees and retirees who participate in this great program. The company, which has partnered with FIRST since 2001, is sponsoring more than 550 teams and donates over $1 million each year.
Being involved in FIRST reminds me never to place boundaries on people. With resources and opportunities to use their talents and creativity, the sky is the limit for any student. So move over football, there’s a new competitor. It’s FIRST robotics — and the chance to see thousands of students in their school colors, celebrated by their peers and cheerleading squads.
Student success at STEM is vital for our country. It’s great to see it rising in popularity at our schools.