With solders placed, gears aligned, and final programs written, hundreds of Indiana high school students will test their robotics tech prowess against the strongest competition the state has to offer in the 2017 FRC (FIRST Robotics Championship) Indiana State Championship. The Huntington campus of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has pledged $1,000 to support its hometown robotics team, and an additional $2,000 to support the entire competition. The two-day event takes place April 7-8 at Huntington North High School.
“Our goal in supporting the Huntington team, and the tournament as a whole, is to enhance programs supporting educational opportunities for young people in technology,” says Mike Pogorelc, Bendix’s Huntington Plant Manager. “We want to help build the future of technology. Giving to a program like this allows Bendix to play a part in that future within our community, region, and industry.”
Huntington North High School will play host to over 30 other high school robotics teams from across the state. Ten teams will advance from the Indiana State Championship to compete against 390 teams at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship at the end of the month in St. Louis, MO. Each team, consisting of roughly 50 people, qualified for the state championship by competing in three prior district events.
Backing of the robotics tournament is part of Bendix’s ongoing commitment to support local STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and education initiatives, as well as area-wide community growth.
Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety and braking solutions for commercial vehicles, is offering support through Local Care, part of the Bendix Corporate Responsibility program. Local Care fuels the company’s ongoing dedication to supporting communities, and aims to grow active social involvement among employees through leadership and project management experience.
IndianaFIRST is an organization dedicated to growing FIRST robotics programs in the state of Indiana. Founded in the fall of 2001, as the Indiana-based affiliate of FIRST, IndianaFIRST brings FIRST programming to students in grades K-12, teaching them hands-on skills in engineering, science, and technology that they can relate back to their classwork.
