Contact: Robbie S. Ward
High school students from three states will participate in the Mississippi Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology robotics competition hosted at Mississippi State Saturday [Nov. 6], from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in McCarthy Gymnasium.
Student BEST teams from Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana have built remote-controlled robots, with each group working from a box of provided materials and with a six-week deadline. The challenge helps heighten the spirit of competition and foster critical thinking, brainstorming and emotional intelligence, said Eric Heiselt, director of k-12 educational outreach and support programs at MSU's Bagley College of Engineering.
Created to boost interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, students involved in the BEST program are introduced to industry professionals who mentor and demonstrate through hands-on, fun, sports-like competition. Winners advance to the South's BEST regional competition held at Auburn University.
BEST Robotics is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization whose mission is to engage, excite, and inspire middle and high school students through participation in the six-week-long competition. Since it began in 1993, BEST has become the largest school-based robotics competition in the U.S. and the only one that is free to schools.
This fall, more than 850 schools, 12,500 students, and 4,500 volunteers are participating at 39 licensed competition sites in 15 states. Approximately 40 community colleges, technical schools, and universities are actively involved in the program each year.
Schools enrolled for competition for the 2010 season include:
ACKERMAN--Choctaw County Career and Technology
DECATUR--Newton County Career and Technical Center and Newton County High School/Middle School
HATTIESBURG--Oak Grove High School
HOLLANDALE--Hollandale School District/ High School and Middle School
HOLLY SPRINGS--Holly Springs High School
HORN LAKE--Horn Lake High School
LONG BEACH--Long Beach High School
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Lausanne Collegiate School
NEW ORLEANS, La.--Holy Cross School
OLIVE BRANCH--Center Hill High School
PELAHATCHIE--East Rankin Academy
SOUTHAVEN--Sacred Heart School
STARKVILLE--Starkville Christian Home Educators and Starkville Christian School
Sponsors for the state competition include Mississippi Manufacturing Association, Caterpillar of Corinth, Mississippi Sleep Innovations of Baldwyn, Nissan Canton, EPSCoR(Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), and MSU's Bagley College of Engineering.
For more information, contact Heiselt at 662-325-1360 or outreach@bagley.msstate.edu, or visit www.msbest.msstate.edu.