First UK has launched its tech competition, tasking young people aged 12–18 with designing, building and programming a robot for a Star Wars-themed challenge.
The programme will take place over the course of the 2019–20 academic year, including regional tournaments in January and February, and culminating in the top 100 teams competing at London’s Copper Box Arena to represent the UK at the World Championships in Detroit, USA.
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This year’s theme is First Rise: The force is building and requires entrants to ‘innovate in the built environment’. The First Tech Challenge game, Skystone, challenges teams to build a sustainable city that’s ‘out of this world’.
We’re building more than robots. We’re building a diverse and inclusive pipeline of young people equipped with the technical knowledge and soft skills they will need to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
– Ed Cervantes-Watson, First UK
The season will run until May 2020, and teams will meet weekly and receive support from an industry mentor.
At the UK launch, First UK CEO, Ed Cervantes-Watson said: “We’re building more than robots. We’re building a diverse and inclusive pipeline of young people equipped with the technical knowledge and soft skills they will need to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
“We must support our educators with industry role models to bridge the gap between the workplace and the classroom – to prepare young people for tomorrow’s jobs, many of which don’t yet exist.”
For more information and to register a team, visit https://www.firstuk.org/take-part-2/register-a-team/