Oct. 6, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Registration for high school FIRST^® robotics teams to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Arizona Regional was announced today by AZFirst, an Arizona 501(c)(3) organization supporting FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the recipient of a grant from Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) and The Stardust Foundation. Teams can register from October 1 - November 30, 2009 at http://www.microchip.com/get/400855848611111, and the competition will take place on March 12 - 13, 2010 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Any student who participates on a FRC team is eligible to apply for over $10 million in scholarships available from businesses, universities and other organizations that provide scholarships for FIRST students. Scholarship information is available at http://www.microchip.com/get/400875532291667.

Additionally, Arizona FIRST teams are encouraged to contact AZFirst for application information about SFAz/The Stardust Foundation grant funding for participation in the FRC AZ Regional. With the grant, more teams can be created to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to enhance students’ Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills. In addition to technology skills learned through hands-on experience in building, designing and programming the robot, students have an opportunity to work with industry mentors and to enhance life skills, such as critical thinking, team building and project management.

“This matching-funds grant provides a unique opportunity for industry to help create a workforce that has not only the technical skills needed to improve the economy in Arizona, but also provides the life skills needed for success in whatever career participants choose,” said Carol Popovich, principal investigator for the grant. “By supporting this effort, we are making a difference in the lives of children by opening up new experiences to them.”

For more information about the FRC AZ Regional, applying for grant funds, AZFirst, or FIRST in Arizona, contact Carol Popovich at (480) 792-7938 or first@microchip.com, or visit http://www.microchip.com/get/400855815393519. For more information about Science Foundation Arizona, contact Terry Koch (pronounced “Cook”) at (602) 682-2800 or tkoch@sfaz.org.

More About FIRST and the FRC Arizona Regional

FIRST connects high school students, educators, the community and industry in a collaborative effort to teach students STEM principles through a team-driven, robot-building project that culminates in an exciting, fast-paced robotics competition.