Pankow Robitcs Team Ready to Compete

The FIRST Robotics Team at the Frederick V. Pankow Center invites community members to see their 2008 robot from noon - 1 p.m., Feb. 19, at the Pankow Center before shipping later that day for competition. The robot was designed and built by high school students from both L’Anse Creuse High School and L’Anse Creuse High School - North who are part of the Paragon Technology Inc. sponsored FIRST Robotics team.
The GEARS (Gaining Experience And Recognizing Skills) Team exists to allow high school students the opportunity to participate in a friendly robot-building competition, made possible by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
“FIRST Robotics provides an excellent opportunity for students to expand their minds to the world of engineering and technology, as well as emphasizing a spirit of ‘gracious professionalism’,” said Tim Fox, sponsor of the robotics team.  This experience familiarizes young students with engineering fundamentals through the construction of a robot to compete in regional competitions throughout the nation. 
Because the "game" varies each year, a new robot with a new purpose must be built during the time prior to the competition. The robot must be in a crate and shipped by Feb. 19 in order to allow all the teams equal time to work on their robots.  The Pankow Robotics team will be participating in both the Detroit Regional and the West Michigan Regional. For more information about FIRST Robotics, visit www.usfirst.org. 
The Pankow Center is located at 24600 F. V. Pankow Boulevard in Clinton Township.  For more information, contact Laura Arnold at arnolla@lc-ps.org or at 586-783-6570 ext. 1323.