Capitol College to Host Several FIRST Robotics Events

 

Contact: Kyle Anderson

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

301-369-2800, ext. 3015

kdanderson@capitol-college.edu

 

 

LAUREL, MD (December 5, 2012) – On Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, Capitol College will be hosting the Maryland FIRST Robotics Competition’s (FRC) Kickoff event in the Avrum Gudelsky Memorial Auditorium. This is the ninth consecutive year that the college is hosting the kickoff event.

 

Each year FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) sponsors an international robotics event, in which students compete in a common challenge. At the

Chesapeake Regional Kickoff Event, teams of high school students will be provided the specifications and parameters of the competition, along with a set of pieces for constructing a robot. Each year’s competition is different, and students have six weeks to design and build their robots.

 

The students gathering at Capitol College will join students from across the world in watching a live-feed from NASA-TV that will provide them with the competition details and instructions. At the 2012 kickoff event, Capitol welcomed more than 400 students from 38 local high schools.

 

“Capitol College has long been one of the strongest partner institutions in the nation for FIRST Robotics, hosting annual ‘kickoffs’ to begin both the FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition seasons,” said George Walls, director of undergraduate recruiting and admissions. “We also are consistently among the top five most generous scholarship giving institutions in the country for robotics students, attracting FIRST students from all across the nation to join our program and contribute to the Capitol family.”

 

On Saturday, Jan. 26, the college will be hosting the FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifier, in which teams have a chance to qualify for the Maryland FIRST Tech Challenge Championship. Qualifiers usually range from 14-24 teams, and the event at Capitol College is one of six qualifying events across the state. The FIRST Tech Challenge requires teams to maneuver their robots around a closed course, while picking up rings and placing them on designated posts.

 

Capitol College is one of the largest providers of scholarships to FIRST students in the United States, with more than $500,000 in scholarship offers to date. Learn more about FIRST Robotics.

 

Capitol College is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to education in engineering, computer science, information technology and business through practices of leadership and innovation. Founded in 1927, Capitol offers associate, bachelor’s and master's degrees, a Doctor of Science in Information Assurance, professional development training and certificates. Academic programs are grounded in centers of excellence; these include the Space Operations Institute, the Critical Infrastructures and Cyber Protection Center, the Innovation and Leadership Institute, and the Center for Space Science Education and Public Outreach. The college campus is located in Laurel, Maryland, a suburban setting midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. www.capitol-college.edu.

 

 

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