Litchfield High School and Wamogo Regional High School
FIRST ® Robotics Team Receives Sponsorship Support from jcpenney
Support will help local students prepare for FIRST Regional Competition
FIRST® team # 1784 Litchfield High School and Wamogo Regional High School joint team is one of 900 high school teams being sponsored this year by jcpenney. FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a not-for-profit organization founded by Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology by engaging students in innovative robotics competitions. The Litchbots is a veteran team that will spend six intense weeks designing and building an original robot for the FIRST Regional Competition scheduled for the Northeast Utilities Connecticut Regional on March 29 - 31, 2012 in Hartford, CT at the Convention Center. Admission is free.

"Having our students involved in FIRST is not just about increasing educational opportunities in science and technology; but instilling well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication and leadership," said Kevin Dake and Lori Dight, Faculty Advisors. "jcpenney's sponsorship represents a commitment to building the future leaders of tomorrow by making youth participation in FIRST possible."

jcpenney's sponsorship of 900 FIRST teams this season reinforces the company's philanthropic goal to introduce FIRST to more schools and communities throughout the U.S. and encourage greater participation among minority and female students. jcpenney's legacy of working with national youth organizations through its signature charity, jcpenney afterschool, helps make it possible for more students to become involved in life-enriching learning opportunities during the after school hours.

Schools, communities and government acknowledge the need to improve the country's global economic competitiveness by increasing aptitudes in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among America's youth. Studies show that FIRST students are three times more likely to major in engineering in college, 10 times as likely to have an apprenticeship their freshman year, more than twice as likely to pursue a science or technology career, and nearly four times as likely to pursue a career in engineering.

About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $14 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL™) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

TEAM CONTACTS:
Kevin Dake
860-567-7530

Lori Dight