It's Your Community - December 27, 2015

Vanessa interviewed Gail Alpert, president and secretary of FIRST in Michigan about robotics and the programs for students in the state of Michigan. Some of the topics they talked about included what is FIRST, who participates in the program terms of level of education and why Michigan is so far ahead of other states in robotic programs. FIRST is a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation that is volunteer-based and spreads over 16 districts throughout Michigan. Its mission is to establish a robotics competition team at every high school in Michigan. The skills kids learn from robotics competitions, helps pave the way for the future of technology and development in the region. They also discussed why companies and universities get involved in FIRST, what a typical high school competition season looks like for the students, where the public can go to see an event and how students, schools, mentors and companies can get involved. For more information on FIRST, log on to www.firstinmichigan.org.