DETROIT — Thirteen middle and high school teams from Michigan are traveling to Des Moines, Iowa March 26-28 to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge North Super-Regional competition.
The competition is co-sponsored by the Detroit-based DTE Energy
Foundation and 11 energy companies.
The 13 teams advancing to the super-regional are:
* Kalamazoo County 4-H
* Allendale Middle School
* Bedford Junior High School, Temperance
* Bloomfield Hills Middle School
* Code Red Robotics, Grandville
* Community Middle School, Wixom
* East Middle School, Canton Township
* Enigma Robotics, Grand Rapids
* Goodrich Area Schools
* Rolland Warner Middle School, Lapeer
* Zemmer Middle School, Lapeer
* Marysville Middle School
* Novi Middle School
The foundation’s support of the Center for Energy Workforce
Development’s challenge provides materials, “robot doctors” and volunteers at local, regional and national competition.
The center, in collaboration with the Edison Electric Institute, is presenting the FIRST Tech Challenge for seventh through 12th graders as part of a new “Get Into Energy, Get Into STEM” careers-in-energy campaign.
“STEM initiatives such as the FIRST Tech Challenge are critical to the development of a well-skilled and diverse local work force,” said Shawn Patterson, vice president of organizational effectiveness and chief learning officer for DTE Energy.
The Lapeer Zemmer, Community Middle, Bedford and Marysville schools also received rookie grants from the DTE Energy Foundation.
The FIRST Tech Challenge started with 600 teams nationwide — including 50 from Michigan — and will culminate with the national competition April 22-25 in St. Louis, Mo.
In addition to partnering with the energy industry to sponsor the FIRST Tech Challenge, DTE Energy and the DTE Energy Foundation are long-time supporters of FIRST Robotics programs for Michigan high school students.
More at www.dteenergy.com/foundation.