[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4638-H4639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FIRST--ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS EVER CREATED

  (Mr. REYES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow Capitol Hill will be given the 
opportunity to experience what I believe is one of the most dynamic, 
innovative and educational programs ever created in our country. This 
program, called FIRST, teaches our youth that science and technology 
can be fun, it can be exciting and, yes, even cool.
  Mr. Speaker, teams of high school students work with local adult 
mentors

[[Page H4639]]

to build robots. They then compete against other teams in regional 
competitions and culminate with a national competition at Disney World 
in Florida.
  Tomorrow FIRST is bringing 12 of its outstanding teens here to 
provide a mini version of one of its competitions. One of these teams, 
I am proud to say, is Montwood High School and their robot Rambot which 
comes from El Paso, Texas, in my district. I am very proud of the hard 
work and determination that brought them here this week.
  Mr. Speaker, many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle have 
already joined me in supporting FIRST and are helping to sponsor 
tomorrow's event. I urge each one of my colleagues, as well as their 
staffs, to come by the Rayburn foyer tomorrow between 9:30 a.m. and 
4:00 p.m. to learn how the lives of our students and students in my 
colleagues' districts can be changed forever in a very positive way.

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