Designation Doubles Number of New York State 
Youth Robotics Teams Represented at SUNY Poly

UTICA, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) was named the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge (FTC) Affiliate Partner for the expanded New York Excelsior Region which will include more than 110 teams of students in grades 7 through 12 throughout a majority of New York State’s counties. 

The New York Excelsior FIRST Tech Challenge will now encompass all of the state’s counties except Long Island and New York City’s five boroughs. Included in the merger are the teams from the FIRST Tech Challenge region formerly known as “NY Hudson Valley.” 

As Affiliate Partner for all levels of FIRST, SUNY Poly grows and foster teams comprised of K-12th grade students throughout the state of New York and holds robotics tournaments both on campus and throughout the state.

“This expansion is a testament to the commitment and quality of all the FIRST at SUNY Poly robotics tournaments that our institution has been producing for over a decade,” said SUNY Poly Interim Provost Dr. Steven Schneider. “Our goal is to establish a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) pipeline by inspiring and assisting pre-collegiate students in gaining valuable engineering, programming, and teamwork skills. This pipeline is creating a long-lasting and beneficial impact within the fabric of New York State, helping direct FIRST participants into STEM-rich colleges and, ultimately, into high-demand STEM careers.”

“SUNY Poly looks forward to engaging these 1,000 technically dynamic middle and high school students within our Excelsior FTC Region, and sharing the diverse range of STEM-related areas of study that SUNY Poly can offer them,” said SUNY Poly FIRST Partner Representative Tina Betz.  

The tournament season will run December through March and regularly attracts students to SUNY Poly who are interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field. 

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About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)
SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.