Young people participate in FIRST national competition as new 4-H Robotics curriculum is launched

CHEVY CHASE, Md., April. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, National 4-H Council is pleased to announce that seven 4-H Robotics teams have won the right to compete at the national FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition April 27-30 in St. Louis.  The event is the culmination of local and regional competitions held worldwide, and brings more than 350 teams together from around the globe to fight for the championship title.

The robotics season began this fall, and allowed youth all across the nation just six weeks to build a robot that meets requirements set by the FIRST organization and can complete challenges in a game designed to test the skills of both the robot and the youth that designed it.  This year, the 4-H Robotics teams participating in the national-level competition are:

• Rhode Burn – Newport County, R.I.
• Air Strike – Newport County, R.I.
• Camdenton 4H LASER – Camdenton, Mo.
• Bit by Bit – Verona, Mo.
• Sim-City – Simsbury, Conn.
• The Original GFORCE – McHenry, Md.
• 4-H Techno Clovers – Accident, Md.

"We are extremely proud of what our teams have achieved by harnessing the robotics skills they learned in their 4-H programs," said Donald T. Floyd Jr., National 4-H Council president and CEO.  "We are not surprised, however by their great success. According to a longitudinal study by Tufts University, we know that 4-H young people perform better in science, engineering, technology and applied math subjects, and are more interested in pursuing science careers. As a result, 4-H is playing a significant role in helping the nation address its scientific workforce development challenges through our cutting-edge science programming."

Developed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension with support from Lockheed Martin, the  4-H Robotics curriculum will introduce millions of youth aged nine to 18 to engineering, and guide them through robotics activities at the beginner, intermediate and advanced skill levels.  The curriculum was created to help build decision-making and critical thinking skills, and gain an understanding of scientific and engineering design processes as they build robots.  

To help youth grow and learn in the out-of-school hours, 4-H offers more than 50 different curricula available for purchase by members and non-members alike. The curriculum programs are developed by teams of scientists at the nation's land-grant universities, peer-reviewed and approved by USDA before public release. The curricula within the area of 4-H Science are among the most popular project areas, with nearly 5 million youth learning everything from environmental science and computer science to rocketry and renewable energy.  Curricula are also available to explore activities such as photography, film making, finance, entrepreneurship, theater arts and fitness.  

About 4-H Curriculum:

National 4-H Curriculum focuses on 4-H's three primary mission mandates: science, healthy living, and citizenship. From wind power to workforce readiness, youth activity guides are filled with engaging experiences that cultivate the skills that youth need for everyday living as they gain knowledge about subjects that interest them. State 4-H programs within the Cooperative Extension System, 4-H National Headquarters at USDA, and National 4-H Council provide leadership for the development of National 4-H Curriculum. This partnership provides the knowledge, resources, and management necessary to develop and market quality youth curriculum. To learn more or to purchase 4-H curricula go to: www.4-HMall.org.

About 4-H:

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within USDA.  

4-H programs are implemented by the 109 land grant colleges and universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their local Extension offices.  4-H programs are further supported by 514,000 dedicated adult volunteers around the nation who help to put 4-H youth on a path towards successful careers. Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org.

SOURCE National 4-H Council