PBTISD has been selected to receive a robotics team grant from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) in Texas funded by bpx energy.
FIRST in Texas is a non-profit organization, founded in 2010, with the goal of promoting robotics education to underrepresented and low-income students across the state. FIRST notably begins robotics education for younger students starting at 2nd grade. The FIRST in Texas Foundation has a goal to inspire innovation and encourage young students to become future STEM professionals.
“With the help of FIRST and the generous donation of bpx energy,” said Superintendent Brent Jaco. “All of our students at PBTISD will now have the opportunity to begin engineering at a young age. Our kids are the future of science and technology and we are very excited to see what this program will bring out of our students.”
PBTISD notably has an outstanding high school robotics program that has received recognition at the state and national levels. With the FIRST grant, PBTISD will now be able to implement a robotics curriculum into our kindergarten, two elementary schools, and middle school. PBTISD students as young as 5-years-old will now be introduced to STEM.
The FIRST grant package will include:
- WeDo 2.0 robotics kit, 2021 -2022 Season FIRST LEGO League Explore kit and the 2021 -2022 Season National FIRST LEGO League Explore registration fee for Pecos Kindergarten, Austin ES and Bessie Haynes ES.
- Spike Prime robotics kit, 2021 -2022 Season FIRST LEGO League Challenge field kit, and the 2021 -2022 National FIRST LEGO League Challenge registration fee for Crockett MS
- REV/Tetrix robotics kit, 2021 -2022 Season FIRST Tech Challenge, and National FIRST Tech Challenge registration fee for Pecos HS.
“This is a truly exciting opportunity for all of our students! It means a lot that bpx energy has taken an interest in supporting our robotics and engineering programs at all grade levels at PBTISD,” said PHS robotics teacher and coach Jessica Thomas. “FIRST is an exciting competition involving teams from all over the world. By introducing these robotics competitions to every age group, we will be able to build a solid program that prepares our scholars for college and the workforce.”
The FIRST grant and bpx energy will also provide training and mentoring for the educators of PBTISD who will take on the new robotics curriculum at each school.
About FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology)
FIRST was founded in 1989 by inventor, entrepreneur, and champion of STEM education Dean Kamen. The mission of FIRST is to inspire and engage students from PK-12 through robotics and STEM education. FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Alumni of FIRST programs gain access to exclusive scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that create connections and open pathways to a wide variety of careers.
About bpx energy
bpx energy is bp’s US onshore oil and gas business. bpx energy has world-class unconventional assets which span across Texas and Louisiana. We focus on delivering free cash flow not only by continued strong returns and operational performance but also by relentless innovation aimed at making our business even safer, smarter, and more environmentally sustainable. bpx energy maintains strategic community partnerships for making a difference in our working communities and is committed to community engagement with a focus on homelessness, education, and the environment.