Saturday – December 21, 9:30-11:00am
Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY
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Ages 9 and up can enjoy a morning of hands-on robotics exploration! Interactive pods of activity will grab the attention of young and old. Participants can jump right into working with robots with the assistance of student mentors. Move through various stations to take part in the demonstrations or just hang back and watch the action. High School robotics teams will provide hands-on, interactive demonstrations and instruction on the use of FIRST® Tech Challenge, FIRST® LEGO® League and LEGO® MINDSTORM® NXT creations. Featured pods include: FTC robots, Sumobots, RC Car bots, ball shooting robots, holonomic drive, self-balancing, and FLL tournament bots along RobotC and NXTG programming. Pod presentations by the RoboSpartans Robotics coaches on their experience with FIRST® will emphasize how robotics has transformed their team members and created a pathway to STEM majors in college. Interested students and parents can pick up information on upcoming FIRST® events.
People interested in learning more about robotics are invited to attend the FREE Junior Cafe presentation on Saturday, December 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing jrcafe@tacny.org by November 13, 2013.
Presenters
Robert A. Payne III, M.S., is a Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Utica Metal Products and Coach of the RoboSpartans #4082 FIRST® Robotics Team. Lisa M. Payne, M.S., is a Marketing Communications & Human Resource Development Consultant and Manager of the RoboSpartans #4082 FIRST® Robotics Team. The Paynes became involved in robotics in 2008 through FIRST® – For Inspiration & Recognition of Science and Technology. The couple started a FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) competitive robotics team for 9 to 14 year olds, the “RoboSpartans,” in New Hartford, NY (twitter: @RoboSpartans). Their team won over a dozen awards in 2 seasons at a U.S. Open Championship and a World Championship, including the US Open Championship Rising Star Award. In 2010, the Paynes and RoboSpartans competed in the FIRST® Tech Challenge as the first competitive FIRST Tech Challenge team within 50 miles of Utica, NY.
As committee members and volunteers for CNYFIRST®, the Paynes propel regional growth of FLL and FTC teams. The RoboSpartans, an FTC World Championship Team, won the Inspire Award at the Northern New York Championship; 1 of 128 teams competing from 11 countries in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. At the World event, the team achieved 4th Place Finalists for the Inspire Award, the highest & most prestigious FIRST Award, the Think Award for crafting their Engineering Notebook, & the Connect Award (connecting local Engineering and FIRST communities). The team has received Congressional Proclamations for their work, recognition by the Mohawk Valley Engineers Executive Council, and the Paynes were awarded the E. Quint Carr Award for Engineering Excellence for championing student STEM activities.
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.
Technology Alliance of Central New York
Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.
For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.
