Andrew Stewart | Manager, Corporate Communications
Last month, we profiled one of IMAX’s unsung heroes — IMAXShift installer extraordinaire, Craig Chambers. Continuing that trend of championing those near and dear to the IMAX family, all of us here at IMAX would like to spotlight — and congratulate — an incredibly talented group of youngsters, who recently competed in the 2016 FIRST Robotics Championship Competition held April 27-30 in St. Louis.
It was the first time IMAX had sponsored a team … and there were two!
Both teams — Inverse Paradox (1325) from Mississauga, Ontario, and Rolling Thunder (1511) from Penfield, N.Y. — qualified to this year’s Championships after being honored with the Regional Engineering Inspiration Award and the Regional Chairman’s Award, respectively, at their regional competition in March.
It’s a fiercely competitive organization; and for those of you who aren’t familiar, here is a brief description of FIRST Robotics Competition, according to its official website:
“The FIRST ® Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team ‘brand,’ hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to "real-world engineering" as a student can get. Volunteer professional Mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.”
IMAX Senior Product Specialist Doug Gilbert, based in the Mississauga IMAX office, and whose son Corbin (9th grade) is on Team Inverse Paradox, first came to IMAX with the sponsorship opportunity. Also involved is Andrew Kurtz, IMAX Principal Scientist, based in Rochester, N.Y., whose son Aaron (10th grade) is a member of Team Rolling Thunder.
Kurtz, who has both coached and judged FIRST competitions in the past, says the organization instills “gracious professionalism” in young people, as well as helps encourage strong team-building skills.
“You’re not limited to what you can only do by yourself,” Kurtz says.
In total, more than 6,000 teams compete in FIRST Robotics across North America, and each year it’s gaining in popularity.
IMAX is proud to support the youth of FIRST Robotics and we look forward to their continued success!
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