Volunteering with FIRST: A Family Affair
FIRST is an organization whose mission is to show students of every age that science, technology, and problem-solving are not only fun and rewarding, but are proven paths to successful careers and a bright future for us all. Yet, for so many of us, FIRST touches so much more of our lives than just introducing us to a world of science and innovation. For George Marchant, FIRST has been a part of his life for fifteen years, ten of which was spent volunteering for FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). His initial introduction to FTC was at its very inception. �When I heard about the demo event that was scheduled for the 2005 World Championship. FTC was always attractive to me as I see the entry cost of the FIRST Robotics Competition as a barrier to many school districts in lower income communities, or areas without major engineering sponsors. I also think that FTC allows teams to be formed from groups outside the school system such as Girl Scouts, 4-H, or Home school organizations.�...