Mountain Home High School Career Academies’ Bomb Squad is among more than 60 teams across the country to receive sponsorship for this FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition season. Internet, television and phone provider Optimum recently announced its partnership with FIRST and its commitment to support robotics teams across its 21-state footprint.
According to a press release from Optimum, the company’s support will help supply resources and tools needed for FIRST teams to build and program a robot to perform this season’s challenge titled CRESCENDO. Teams will be challenged to combine their engineering skills and creative power to explore the possibilities of their designs, building and programming of their robots for a music-themed game.
In addition, Optimum will sponsor six regional competitions across its footprint, including FIRST Long Island, Mid Atlantic, North Carolina, Texas, New York City and the Hudson Valley, which returns for the first time since 2019 to allow local high school students an opportunity to showcase and test their robots and continue developing their skills across mechanical and electrical engineering, coding, programming, marketing, communications, leadership, finance, community outreach, and more.
The company also says it will continue to support and foster STEM skill development among high school students across the communities it serves through its annual award program – the Optimum Innovator Awards. Following each competition season, Optimum will recognize and award grants to local FIRST teams for their innovation and efforts in areas including community engagement, technology, inspiration, diversity, and sustainability. The awarded grants are slated to help further support the winning teams’ growth, creativity and innovation as they prepare for the next season of competitions and find new ways to engineer their robots.
The Bomb Squad is one of two teams in Arkansas to receive funding from Optimum. Money is also going to BOSS from the Secondary Career Center at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.
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