Company Continues Life-Long Commitment to Youth Programs

Inspired by the excitement of last year’s event, Bishop-Wisecarver, the manufacturer of the original DualVee guide wheel, has returned as a sponsor of the 2008 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition (FRC).

Since 1989, FIRST has brought the excitement of a sporting event to science and technology via robotics competitions. At the January 5 kickoff, more than 1,500 teams, each consisting of 10 to 20 high school students and a few engineer mentors, received a common kit of parts.

Using this kit—which included Bishop-Wisecarver’s MCS aluminum profile—and working with mentors, teams have six weeks to design and build their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge, “FIRST Overdrive.”

According to FIRST, 41 regional competitions will lead up to the FRC Championship scheduled to be held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta April 17-19.

“We are very proud to be a “Silver Supplier” of this fine group and participate in this year’s game,” says Pamela Kan, president of Bishop-Wisecarver. “Our involvement gives us the opportunity to promote innovation and encourage and engage the engineers and thinkers of the future.”

Bishop-Wisecarver’s continued support of FRC is part of a long tradition. Nearly 40 years ago, Kan’s father, and Bishop-Wisecarver founder, Bud Wisecarver began a life-long commitment to youth programs related to education, engineering, manufacturing and science.

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter and recipient of numerous prestigious awards, founded FIRST “to create a world where science and technology are celebrated … where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.”

“With its generous contribution to the FIRST Robotics Competition Kit of Parts, Bishop-Wisecarver makes it possible for us to turn the FIRST vision of inspiring young people’s interest and participation in science and technology into a reality,” says FIRST President Paul Gudonis.

FIRST provides an educational and career path for young people with an interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The group rewards “gracious professionalism,” which encourages high-quality, well-informed work performed in a manner that leaves everyone feeling valued.

Teams are judged not on the final score, but on overall performance, including problem solving, innovation, teamwork, community engagement and fostering greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology.

More than 37,500 high school students will participate in the 2008 FIRST Robotics Competition, along with 21,000 mentors, 6,300 event volunteers and more than 2,500 sponsors, according to the organization. Participating students are eligible to apply for more than $9.5 million in scholarships offered by leading universities, colleges and companies.

The kickoff, held at Southern New Hampshire University, was broadcasted by NASA TV and webcast to teams across the United States and in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands and the U.K.

pddnet.com