Roger Williams University today announced that it has offered $200,000 in scholarships to the winning team of the 2008 FIRST LEGO® League “Climate Connections” robotics Challenge hosted on campus January 10. Four-year RWU scholarships of $5,000 each year were awarded to all ten members of the winning team. Roger Williams University is the first organization to offer a college scholarship to a FIRST LEGO League winning team in the competition’s ten-year history.
Over 40 teams of 9-14 year-old Rhode Islanders descended on campus for the recent competition. The self-named “No Team Foster Glocester” team, based out of Foster, RI, walked away with the prestigious LEGO trophy and the RWU scholarships.
“Rhode Island students continue to benefit from FIRST programs by learning about science and technology in new and exciting ways,” said FIRST President, Paul R. Gudonis. “Roger Williams University and FIRST share in the goal of inspiring young people to develop a deep appreciation for science and technology. Offering scholarships at the middle-school level is a unique incentive that will help achieve this goal while making a positive impact on the students and their community.”
FIRST LEGO League is an international competition for middle-school-age children featuring an annual real-world Challenge that engages them in authentic scientific research and hands-on robotics design using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technologies and play materials. Roger Williams University has hosted the annual Rhode Island FLL Championship Tournament on its campus since 2007. The Rhode Island FIRST LEGO League program is supported locally by the Rhode Island School of the Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping schools improve the lifelong learning skills of its students and their teachers who are committed to this pursuit.
“FIRST has a rich history of developing creative programs for young people from across the globe that encourage careers in science and technology, and Roger Williams University is delighted to help support this mission locally,” said Lynn Fawthrop, senior vice president for Enrollment and Advancement at RWU. “Offering scholarships to children in our community who show a budding promise in the sciences will prove to be a solid investment in the future of Rhode Island and in RWU’s continued academic excellence.”
About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 39 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. Under the leadership of President Roy J. Nirschel, Ph.D., the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named RWU the eighth-ranked baccalaureate college in the north.
About FIRST: Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students, FIRST LEGO® League for children 9-14 years old, and the Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org. To learn more about the “Climate Connections” Challenge, go to www.FIRSTLEGOLeague.org.