Schubert: FIRST event could change your child's life

As the father of two sons who participated in and reaped huge benefits from the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics program, I'm grateful for this opportunity to offer some information about the program and to urge people to see for themselves the excitement that FIRST can generate.

The VirginiaFIRST Robot Rumble, scheduled for Saturday at the Science Museum of Virginia, marks the unofficial beginning of this year's FIRST Robotics Competition season. High school robotics teams are recruiting members, sponsors, volunteers and mentors, and this event is an ideal occasion to check it out and get involved.

FIRST is a nonprofit organization that offers hands-on age-appropriate programs for kids age 6 to 18. The programs culminate in exciting high-tech robotic sporting events.

The organization was founded in 1989 by world-renowned inventor Dean Kamen. Kamen's goal was ambitious: "to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."

If you witness FIRST in action, you'll believe, as I do, that Kamen's mission is achievable.

Ask any kid involved in FIRST robotics, and you'll hear that the program is a lot of fun. But there's also a very serious purpose behind FIRST. It is a sad and disturbing truth that the U.S. is falling behind much of the rest of the industrialized world in science, technical, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. If our nation has any hope of being competitive in the future, we must change the way our young people regard science and technology and inspire an appreciation for the real-life rewards and career opportunities in these fields.

FIRST is part of the solution. Researchers at Brandeis University found that, compared with other students with similar backgrounds and academic experiences, including math and science, FIRST participants are:

• More than three times as likely to major in engineering;

• Significantly more likely to expect to achieve a post-graduate degree;

• More than twice as likely to expect to pursue a career in science and technology;

• More than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.

And parents will want to know that FIRST participants qualify for nearly $15 million in college scholarships.

I'm certainly not taking a swipe at high school athletics, but not everyone is cut out for sports. FIRST is a chance for non-athletes to learn the important lessons of teamwork. The FIRST Robotics Competition has a reputation as "the varsity sport for the mind" because it combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.

As my own sons discovered, FIRST is about much, much more than building and driving a robot. Working with mentors, students do solve engineering and technical problems. But a FIRST Robotics Competition team is also a full-fledged enterprise, with members learning real-world skills in team-building, programming, time and project management, marketing, community relations and fundraising.

FIRST teams compete vigorously at tournaments, but the contests are structured around alliances, meaning your competitor in this match might be your ally the next time around. That tournament structure not only teaches the importance of strategy, it also fosters maturity and respect for others; FIRST calls it "gracious professionalism."

This Saturday's Robot Rumble offers something for everyone, whether you're a parent, teacher, student or potential volunteer, sponsor or spectator. An exhibition tournament with high school robotics teams takes place all day. Newcomers also can get involved in FIRST programs at the event. They'll be invited to test drive remote-controlled bots to earn their "Robot Driver's License."

VirginiaFIRST volunteers will be on hand to talk about FIRST or how to support one of the teams.

My sons brought very different strengths to their FIRST Robotics teams. In addition to honing their technical skills and helping to set them on engineering and technology paths, FIRST taught them discipline and time-management, and — most important — gave them the self-confidence to succeed in the world.

Maybe FIRST can do the same for your children.