Appalachian Power (AEP) awarded a $4,450 grant to New College Institute (NCI) FIRST Robotics Team – Team 1262.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multi-national robotics competition that connects professionals and high school students to solve an engineering problem in an intense and competitive way. FIRST competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events demonstrating participants’ success in brainstorming, teamwork and meeting deadlines.
AEP’s FIRST robotics grant initiative awards $200,000 annually across AEP’s 11-state service territory and is one of several company wide programs supporting pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education with an emphasis on science, math, engineering and technology (STEM) education and careers.
“Appalachian Power is critically aware of the need for strong STEM education programs,” said Teresa Hamilton Hall, corporate communications. “We are proud to help students and leaders of NCI FIRST Robotics Team 1262 as they pursue firsthand experiences in science and technology and explore career opportunities.”
“NCI is grateful for Appalachian Power’s support of our FIRST Robotics Team 1262,” said Karen Jackson, Interim Executive Director at NCI. “Experiential learning is key to capturing students’ interest in STEM careers; and this generous investment will enable Team 1262 to expand and enrich our program.”
AEP awarded funding to 152 FIRST robotics teams for the 2021-22 competitive season. More information on all the FIRST robotics programs can be found at www.firstinspires.org.
Research shows that students who participate in FIRST are 80 percent more interested in jobs that use STEM and four times more likely to pursue a career in engineering. Almost one-third of girls in FIRST continue on to a major in engineering. For more on careers in energy, visit GetIntoEnergy.com.
Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is part of American Electric Power, which is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions.
