FIRST Robotics

EMC sponsors high schools across the United States in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competitions. In this national competition, high school students work in teams with teachers and engineers to conceptualize, design, and build a robot. EMC's teams in Massachusetts include: Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School; Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School; Mt. St. Joseph Academy; and Worcester's North High School. EMC also sponsors the Southeast Raleigh High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, Downtown College Prep in San Jose, California, and San Ramon Valley High in Danville, California.

EMC engineers provide mentoring

The seven EMC-sponsored robotics teams work with EMC engineers, who mentor students as they design and build their machines. These mentors attend meetings with the teams and help students brainstorm and work through ideas for the projects. The mentor relationship not only helps the teams build their robots, but also gives students role models and links to the working world. Many mentors return year after year, and former students often return as mentors.

Outstanding achievement

EMC is also a sponsor of the Silicon Valley Regional FIRST Regional Competition, and in 2007 the EMC-supported San Ramon Valley High School team won first place in this highly competitive event. The San Ramon team and the Southeast Raleigh High School team both made it to the Championship Event in 2007. Both teams had excellent robots and played well at this international competition, reaching the semi-finals.