Hundreds of students will compete in two major robotics competitions December 7 and 8 on the SUNYIT campus.

On Saturday, December 7, two dozen teams of middle and high school students from all over central and eastern New York will compete in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) regional championship tournament in the Wildcat Field House.  Teams represent schools, community groups like Boys Scouts and 4-H, home school groups, and neighborhoods; the event is part of an international competition in which more than 200,000 children around the world explore FLL’s“Nature’s Fury” Challenge. Teams made up of students ages 9-14 from the Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas will build, test, and program an autonomous robot using Lego robotics kits, and solve a real­-world problem related to natural disasters as part of a team project. The day’s events, all open to the public, include opening ceremonies at 12:30 p.m., competition from 1-3 p.m., presentation of awards and a closing ceremony at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, December 8, as many as two dozen teams of high school students will take part in the region’s first-ever FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) qualifying tournament. Spectators are welcome starting at 10 a.m. in the Wildcat Field House. Teams will compete for spots at the Hudson Valley FTC regional championship event at Pace University, on February 16, 2014.

For more information, please visit fll.sunyit.edu or contact Elizabeth Rossi, SUNYIT K-12 outreach director, 315-792-7383, seer@sunypoly.edu.

FIRST Lego League (FLL) is an international program for children ages 9-14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and a research presentation with a sports-like atmosphere. Teams consist of up to 10 members and focus on such things as team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking. More than 23,000 teams from 80 countries will participate in FLL worldwide. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Awards are given for the competition as for well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.

Founded in 1989 by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen, FIRST is a New Hampshire-based not-for-profit organization which seeks to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology through programs that motivate the pursuit of education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

SUNYIT, the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, is New York’s public polytechnic, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in technology and professional studies. Its academic offerings in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies, and its programs in professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing, are complemented by athletics, recreational, cultural and campus life programs, events and activities. Founded in 1966, SUNYIT is a unique high-tech learning environment on hundreds of acres, offering degree programs online as well as on campus. The SUNYIT family of alumni now numbers 25,000.