St. Clair College supports local high schools participating in FIRST. Mr. Darryl Danelon (far left), chair of engineering technology, and Mr. Waseem Habash, VP academic (far right), presented the cheque to the schools
The surge of interest in STEM subjects in Ontario's Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent region is evident in the number of teams from area schools participating in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics program.
Interest in the program – which promotes science, technology and innovation to students who form teams and build robots to compete in regional, national and international competitions – has grown quickly. In 2012, there was only one local high school (Sandwich Secondary) actively involved in FIRST Robotics.
In 2013, St. Clair College partnered with WETech Alliance, a local organization committed to technology and innovation, and Sandwich Secondary to publicize the competition. Within two years, 18 high school teams had formed in the region. St. Clair donates $1,000 annually to every team participating in the program.
Lee Awad, teacher and lead mentor at Sandwich Secondary, says the growth of the program has been remarkable.
"In a few years, Essex county has gone from one team to 20 teams, and that does not happen without the help of mentors, volunteers and FIRST industry support," he says.
But St. Clair did more than just write cheques. When it heard that there were a number of Chatham-Kent high schools that were unable to meet the minimum 25-student team size, it started up and mentored C.K. Cyber Pack, a multi-school team.
A team of volunteers including college staff, industry leaders and high school teachers co-ordinated the team, and the college provided a place for the team to meet at its Chatham Campus. Success came quickly, and in its first year of competition (2015), C.K. Cyber Pack earned a spot in the world championships in St. Louis, Missouri.
Phil Campbell, VP sales and marketing at CenterLine Windsor and a FIRST judge, says local industries recognize the merits of supporting a passion for engineering and skilled trades.
"Our HR department looks at resumés to see if kids have FIRST experience – not only because we know the technology they will be exposed to, but because students learn broad life skills that employers like CenterLine are looking for. They learn to work in teams, fundraise and manage money. This gives them an edge that other students just don't have," he says.
While the focus may be on STEM, Mr. Campbell says the program also attracts many students with artistic talents.
"Walkerville, a school that offers special programs in creative arts, has a great team. The team's creative flair shows up in the robots and in their presentation booth. It shows that FIRST Robotics is an opportunity for students with a whole range of talents," he says.
Mr. Awad agrees: "I have seen the way this program has changed students' lives for the better. It is the perfect mix of theory and application, and this is how young people learn best."
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.