Lawrence Tech's Robofest Prepares Students for Prestigious Grant Award
Farmington, Michigan---Farmington Public Schools' Harrison High School was among 16 schools in the nation selected for a grant for a student-designed robotics invention. Harrison was the only school in Michigan to be awarded the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Program InvenTeams grant.
Harrison's team - the Robohawks, under the direction of Steve Dail - also earned first place at the 2007 Lawrence Technological University's "Robofest" competition for its robotic boat concept. The technical name of the invention is: Aquatic autonomous remote monitoring system to measure ecological variables. The Robohawks will receive up to $10,000 and the grant will allow it to improve the concept and make it more versatile.
To encourage this inventive spirit, the Lemelson-MIT Program selects high schools to participate in its InvenTeams initiative and provides funding for teams of students to identify a real-world problem and invent a practical solution to it. InvenTeams is a premier national grants initiative that enhances science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by offering students a comprehensive, self-directed invention experience.
A prestigious panel of educators and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, representatives from industry, MIT staff and alumni, and former Lemelson-MIT Award winners selected this year’s InvenTeams from a national pool of applicants.
Harrison student Daniel Smith wrote the concept proposal. Student Robert Klosek wrote the project outline and timeline, and student Sonu Varughese helped edit the proposal. Other team members did background research. Community member Barry Brouillette is the lead mentor of the team.
“The InvenTeams applications we received this year were truly amazing,” said Leigh Estabrooks, the Lemelson-MIT Program’s InvenTeams grants officer. “The students all demonstrated imagination, initiative and confidence that they could help solve some of the pressing issues of our time. It’s imperative that we continue to foster this spirit of invention in today’s youth and enable teachers to create a culture of invention in their schools.”
Original article source from Farmington Public Schools