January 2005
NJIT hosts robotics competition for Newark middle schools
WHAT: New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) hosts a robotics competition, sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), in which 20 middle-school teams from Newark will compete. The students have built robots designed to help disabled people perform domestic tasks.
WHO: Twenty middle-school teams, some 180 Newark students, will compete in the FIRST contest. (Editor's Note: For the names of schools that will compete, see the below list). The students have been tutored by 50 NJIT college students. The Center for Pre-College Programs at NJIT offered workshops for the Newark teachers coaching the teams. "NJIT's level of support of the Newark schools is unprecedented," said Randy Schaeffer, FIRST regional director for New York City and New Jersey. "The competition is a wonderful chance for the community to come together to celebrate the achievements of Newark's students," said Schaeffer.
WHERE: The Fleischer Athletic Center on the NJIT campus. Parking is available.
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 15, at noon. Prizes will be awarded to teams at 2:45 p.m.
SCHOOLS: Avon Avenue School; Brown Academy; Camden Middle School; Chancellor Avenue School; Cleveland School; Dayton Street School; Dr. William Horton School; Eighteenth Avenue School; McKinley School; Miller Street School; Mt. Vernon School; Oliver Street School; Peshine Avenue School; Rafael Hernandez School; South 17th Street School; Sussex Avenue School; Thirteenth Avenue School; Vailsburg Middle School; Warren Street School; and Wilson Avenue School.
BACKGROUND: FIRST sanctions two science competitions, the FIRST Robotics competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO League for middle school students. Through the FIRST Robotics competition, more than 800 teams participate in North America in a total of 23 regional events and a championship event. For more information, visit the website at www.usfirst.org or for FIRST Lego League, www.firstlegoleague.org.
New Jersey Institute of Technology, the state's public technological research university, enrolls more than 8,200 students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 100 degree programs offered by six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, Albert Dorman Honors College and College of Computing Sciences. NJIT is renowned for expertise in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and eLearning.
