Chrysler Foundation pledges $229K for FIRST Robotics teams
The Chrysler Foundation reported today that it will award $229,000 in grants to support FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics teams and organizations during 2014. The money will primarily be used to fund FIRST teams in the group’s home state of Michigan, with additional support for teams in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, and Ontario, Canada.
Teams from 41 high schools sponsored by The Chrysler Foundation will receive $5,000 grants. Those that qualify for the FIRST Championship will also receive a share of a $15,000 booster fund for additional support.
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition held annually. The 2014 season kicks off Saturday, when this year’s game field and challenge will be revealed for the first time. (The kickoff can be viewed live at 10 a.m. EST here.) FIRST reports that the 2014 season will include more than 2,700 teams (or nearly 70,000 high-school students) participating in 98 Regional and District events.
The Chrysler Foundation says its grants will support more than 1,000 of those students. Teams receiving the grants are located at the follow schools:
| Arizona |
| Kingman High School (Kingman) |
| Illinois |
| Belvidere, Belvidere North and North Boone High Schools |
| Indiana |
| Northwestern High School (Kokomo) |
| Western High School (Russiaville) |
| Michigan |
| Ann Arbor Huron High School |
| Birmingham Seaholm and Birmingham Groves High Schools |
| Bishop Foley Catholic High School (Madison Heights) |
| Bloomfield Hills High School |
| Capac Community Schools |
| Cardinal Mooney Catholic (Marine City) |
| Center Line High School |
| Chelsea High School |
| Dundee High School |
| Genesee Robotics Area Youth Team (Fenton) |
| Golightly Vocational Academy (Detroit) |
| Goodrich High School |
| Grand Blanc High School |
| Hartland High School |
| Lake Orion High School |
| Linden High School |
| Macomb Academy of Arts and Sciences (Armada) |
| Notre Dame Preparatory (Auburn Hills) |
| Oakland Tech Northeast (Pontiac) |
| OSM Tech Academy at Clarkston High School |
| Oxford Community Schools |
| Pontiac High School |
| Rochester Adams and Stoney Creek High Schools (Rochester Hills) |
| Romeo Community Schools (Washington) |
| Skyline High School (Ann Arbor) |
| Southeastern High School of Technology (Detroit) |
| Henry Ford II, Stevenson and Utica High Schools (Sterling Heights) |
| Walled Lake Schools |
| Warren Consolidated Schools |
| Waterford Kettering High School |
| Ontario, Canada |
| Assumption College School |
| Harrow District High School |
| Holy Names Catholic High School |
| Maranatha Christian Academy |
| Sandwich Secondary School |
| Vincent Massey Secondary School |
| Walkerville Collegiate Institute |
The foundation also announced a $7,500 grant to FIRST in Michigan for district and statewide robotics competitions as well as grants of $750 to support FIRST Tech Challenge teams in Fenton and Linden, Mich.
[ photo courtesy of FIRST Robotics / Adriana M. Groisman ]
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About The Author
Mike Davin
Mike Davin is passionate about business and robotics. In addition to editing The Business of Robotics, he is on the advisory board for the Robotics Alley Conference & Expo. He also serves on the executive committee of AUVSI Twin Cities as communications chair. Before he covered robots, he was senior editor of Boating Industry magazine as well as online editor of its sister publication, Powersports Business.