[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6715]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ``FIRST'' ROBOTICS COMPETITION

  (Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this past Friday I had a wonderful 
opportunity to witness, firsthand, America's innovative spirit in 
action. An organization named For Inspiration and Recognition of 
Science and Technology, FIRST, held its 15th annual Robotic Competition 
Championship in Atlanta.
  Founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, FIRST is a world-renowned organization 
that promotes the study and application of science, math, engineering 
and technology. Over the 3 days of competition, 28,000 participants 
from seven different countries took part, including students from 
Wheeler High School in my own district. During the events, students 
were immersed in an intense competitive environment where they employed 
innovative solutions to solve real-life engineering problems in a 
sports-like activity. Teamwork, ingenuity, flexibility and cooperation 
are all rewarded.
  In a continually evolving and competitive global market, Americans 
must work to retain our time-honored spirit of scientific leadership. 
Math and science are invaluable pillars of a strong education; and our 
schools, in coordination with organizations like FIRST, will ensure the 
creation of a new generation of world leaders, but only if we are 
proactively committed.

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