WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Consider it the building blocks to a bright future as the Cox Science Center and Aquarium (CSCA) launched the first Youth Robotics Competition in partnership with the FIRST LEGO League of South Florida. On Saturday, September 17, students between the ages of 9 and 14 kicked off this year’s hands-on robotics competitions with STEM-centric coaches by their side. The Center currently serves as home base for FIRST LEGO competitions with the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation as the presenting sponsor and Florida Power & Light (FPL) as the superpowered season sponsor.
FIRST is the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education. Through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs, FIRST has a proven impact on learning, interest and skill-building inside and outside of the classroom. For 30 years, students from all walks of life have developed self-confidence in STEM and valuable, real-world skills through FIRST that open pathways to a better future.
“It takes just a quick conversation with these young participants to realize they have impressive, long-term goals,” said CSCA President and CEO, Kate Arrizza. “These kids are innovative well beyond their years – whether it’s their plan to use robotics to alleviate homelessness or to colonize Mars. We are so excited to be partnering with FIRST LEGO to advance kids’ passions and to keep them engaged in STEM-related hobbies.”
Students gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together. FIRSTLEGO League’s three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics centered around a yearly theme
In partnership with FIRST®, the Cox Science Center and Aquarium (CSCA) will support FIRST LEGO League teams across our region as they build and program a LEGO® robot to complete specific missions. The 2022-2023 season’s “energy” theme challenges FIRST teams to reimagine the future of sustainable energy and power their ideas forward.
“These kids are learning skills for jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. The future of energy–how we generate it and consume it–depends on them,” said Pam Rauch, Vice President, External Affairs and Economic Development at FPL. “We look forward to the next generation teaching us new technology and methodologies that will reshape our energy industry entirely.
As a program delivery organization, The Cox Science Center and Aquarium now serves as the backbone for FIRST LEGO League teams in South Florida, providing support and training, serving as the communication channel for teams, and leading the Regional Planning Team that builds an exciting season of events, qualifiers and competitions.
Formerly the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, the recently renamed Cox Science Center and Aquarium’s current indoor/outdoor venue features more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits, a 10,000-gallon fresh and saltwater aquarium, digital planetarium, Pre-K focused “Discovery Center,” 18-hole conservation-themed Mini-Golf Course and quarter-mile-long outdoor science trail. One of its celebrated displays includes “Journey Through the Human Brain,” a permanent exhibit that features the most advanced neuroscience research in the world. The Cox Amphitheater hosts daily live science shows, seasonal laser shows, and special event programming. The Center took on a new name at the end of 2021 when leadership announced a $20 million gift from Palm Beachers, Howard and Wendy Cox, to launch a transformative capital campaign – with a target completion date of 2025.
Join the excitement and form your own team until October 31! To enroll in the program, please visit firstinspires.org/robotics/fll or call 561-832-1988 for more details.
