Greenville, TX – September 3, 2020: The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation announced today that it is partnering with the Texas Workforce Commission’s Texas Youth Robotics Initiative to expand access of competitive robotics to traditionally underrepresented high school students for the 2020/2021 academic year.
The REC Foundation has been awarded a nearly $750,000 grant to bring competitive robotics to rural and Title 1 schools around the state which will impact up to 4,800 high school students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to evidence-based STEM programming.
The grant will assist rural and Title 1 schools in the development of 150 new robotics teams, comprised of students who have not participated in competitive robotics previously, and to sustain 50 existing teams. Additionally, this grant will focus on inclusion for deaf and hard of hearing students across Texas. The REC Foundation is partnering with the Texas School for the Deaf to expand robotics by creating 25 new teams and holding a signature competition event for the deaf community, next spring in Austin.
“We’re thrilled to receive a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to increase participation in competitive robotics in our home state of Texas,” said Dan Mantz, CEO of the REC Foundation. “This investment will offer the opportunity for thousands of students to access science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. It will also help prepare the next generation of innovators to have a rewarding career which will ultimately help enhance Texas’s workforce.”
Through the creative process of designing, building, and programming robots for competition, students gain a wealth of technical knowledge and develop communication and teamwork skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. To learn more about the REC Foundation and how your high school can apply for this grant, visit https://www.recf.org/grant/twc-grant/.
###
About the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s mission is to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, affordable, and sustainable robotics engineering programs.
Media Contact
Jenn Goonan
Rocket Social Impact
Jenn@RocketSocialImpact.com
617.947.0971