By Brooke Tidwell, Media Relations Specialist
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office

The Chickasaw Nation education services department is sponsoring interactive science programs through an international organization committed to inspiring young students to be science and technology leaders.

The organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989. Through FIRST, students are inspired to become science and technology leaders by engaging in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, inspire innovation and foster well-rounded life capabilities.

The FIRST Robotics Competition program is available to all Ada area high school students. This program is a sport of the mind designed to help high school students discover the interesting and rewarding life of engineers and researchers.

This program challenges teams of students and mentors to solve a common problem by designing and building a robot in a six-week timeframe using a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules. To compete in competitions, students must focus on design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism, maturity and the ability to overcome obstacles.

The Chickasaw Nation created the first Ada area FIRST Robotics team in 2007 known as Metal Mayhem. Metal Mayhem team members consisted of several high school students in the Ada area. The team designed and built a robot in six weeks and received the awards of Regional Rookie All Star in Oklahoma City and National Rookie All Star in Atlanta, Ga.

All Ada area students grades nine through 12 are encouraged to apply for the robotics program. The deadline to register for the FIRST Robotics Competition is September 30. For more information about Math, Science and Technology programs or to obtain required applications, contact Amber Fox at (580) 421-7711 or amber.fox@chickasaw.net.