“Sport for the Mind” Robotic Competition Brings Hundreds of High Schoolers To Campus

The FIRST Robotics Central Illinois Regional competition will take place on March 20 and 21 at the Renaissance Coliseum on the campus of Bradley University, with 38 teams from throughout the Midwest and one team from Istanbul, Turkey participating.

Dubbed a “varsity sport for the mind,” FIRST Robotics combines sport with science and technology for teams of high school students, who vie for the opportunity to move on to the FIRST World Championship on April 22 - 25 in St. Louis.

Bradley’s Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology is partnering with Caterpillar Inc. to sponsor the two-day competition that aims to get students excited about learning science and technology.

“As a major employer of technical talent, Caterpillar is committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and technical professionals. The FIRST Robotics Competition helps us do just that. We are thrilled to be a sponsor of the Central Illinois Regional, both through financial support and through the hundreds of employees who invest their time as mentors of FIRST teams. We look forward to seeing the great work of these future innovators at the event,” said Gwenne Henricks, Caterpillar’s Chief Technology Officer. 

Teams have had six weeks to design, build, program, and test 120 lb. robots to meet a specific engineering challenge for the competition.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day with qualification matches taking place between 9 a.m. and noon and 1 and 5:45 p.m. The final rounds will take place on March 21 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.

“The FIRST competition is an excellent opportunity for students to become involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and better prepare themselves for college,” said Dr. Lex Akers, Dean of the Caterpillar College. “We are pleased to play host to the many students and mentors participating in this exciting event.”

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 $20 million in college scholarships, the not-­for­-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) for students in  Grades 9­12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for Grades 7­12; FIRST® LEGO®League (FLL®) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST®  LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high­quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.