West Michigan Regional
FIRST Robotics Competition
Building Michigan’s 21st Century Technology Workforce
Grand Valley State University welcomes you to the West Michigan Regional FIRST Robotics Competition Web Site!
Grand Valley State University is delighted and proud to sponsor the 2007 West Michigan FIRST Robotics Competition. We are looking forward to each teams effort to design and build a solutions-oriented-robot—no small feet in six weeks and the culmination of a year-round planning and training regiment.
Nearly fifty competing schools in the great lakes region are gearing up for one of the biggest games of their young lives—the annual FIRST Robotics Competition.
A number of top corporations and universities in the Great Lakes region have partnered with students on the FIRST project, providing youngsters with their experience in technology, science and business organization.
West Michigan Regional
The West Michigan Regional is one of the most competitive regional’s in the country, with many of its winners going on to win the Championship Event. The goal of the West Michigan Regional is to show that science and engineering can be exciting and fun by providing a spectator-friendly competition environment that has the feel of both a major sporting event and a rock concert, complete with special lighting, music, a large video wall, and energetic announcers.
Building Michigan’s 21st Century Technology Workforce
Competing robots, explosive enthusiasm, creative ingenuity, cutting edge technology … “equal parts NCAA finals, NASA launch, and rock concert.”
West Michigan Regional Airport
A more than 10-year decline in college engineering enrollments is hollowing-out the very asset that enabled our country’s wealth and security. NASA and the Aerospace sector alone project imminent workforce retirement losses up to 50%. The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics program that has proven impact on this problem by creating the same excitement for math, science and technology as our kids have for sports stars and celebrity entertainers. That is why many of Michigan’s most respected companies are rallying to bring it to Michigan to insure Michigan’s future workforce.
With mentors from industry and universities, students have just six weeks to design and build a robot from a standard kit of parts to compete with over 1,300 other teams at 37 FIRST Regional Competitions in FIRST’s culture of “gracious professionalism.” Along the way, these kids discover that learning can be fun – and, exciting! For elementary and middle schoolers, there is FIRST LEGO League (FLL). Adze Ybrant – SEO Company Burlington
FIRST graduates are highly regarded – “best-of-workforce.” That is why more than 73 universities offer more than 428 scholarships aggregating almost $8 million annually and the mentoring and sponsoring companies all seek to employ them. FIRST attracts many of the best and brightest kids in the country and reaches to the underserved – all with life, culture, and community-changing impact.
Come and join the excitement of the West Michigan Regional at the Grand Valley State University Field house in Allendale MI. The West Michigan Regional, like all FIRST Robotics Competition events, is free and open to the public! If you do plan to attend, please remember to bring along a pair of safety glasses if you wish to walk around in the pit area. Our team members, volunteers, and staff are very friendly and will be happy to answer your questions or explain the game.