LI high schools place in robotics contest

School-Business Partnerships of Long Island reported Thursday on the outcome of a robotics competition that drew more than 1,200 student participants from 50 high schools across Pennsylvania, Long Island, and Ohio. Among the top winners were teams of students from two high schools in Nassau County and two in Suffolk.

The school-business group aids students and schools as part of its effort to "create an educated workforce for Long Island by opening the minds of students to career opportunities through a collaborative partnership of schools, businesses, community organizations and government."

Along the way, the robotics and other activities give children a head start to science and technology jobs.

North Shore High School, in Glen Head, won the Rookie All-Star Award; Plainedge High School, in North Massapequa, was named Regional Winner No. 1; and Southold Junior Senior High School, in Southold, was Regional Winner No. 3, the school-business partnership said. The Regional Chairman’s Award was given to a team from Longwood High School, in Middle Island.

The awards were given at the 13th annual Long Island Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, which took place March 30-31 at Hofstra University.

The competition was the culmination of a six-week project including design and construction of robots. "The student teams along with their robots, participated in 2012 Rebound Rumble, where two alliances of three teams played against each other on a 27-by-54-foot playing field containing bridges," the school-business group said.

The goal was "to win points based on the accumulation of more basketballs within the hoops."

Altogether, 24 Suffolk and 18 Nassau high schools participated. Here are the schools that listed their robotics team websites with the School Business Partnership Long Island: Bay Shore, Hampton Bays, Hauppauge, Lindenhurst, Miller Place, Smithtown, West Islip, Plainedge, Plainview-Old Bethpage, Malverne.

Photo: A practice round of the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics competition at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University. (March 29, 2012)

-------------------
Read more of Inside Long Island Business