First Ever Middle School Robotics Tournament for Deaf and Hard of Hearing at TSD

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Contact: A.J. Morton
Phone: 512-462-5416
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Keena Miller
512/462-5328; c 512/658-4444
[email protected]

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 7, 2020

First Ever Middle School Robotics Tournament for Deaf & Hard of Hearing

February 7-8, 2020

Austin, Texas – February 7 – Middle school students across the country are in Austin today at the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) for the first robotics competition in the nation featuring all deaf and hard of hearing students and teams.

The 1st VEX IQ Robotics Competition, hosted at TSD by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s (NTID) Regional STEM Center (NRSC) welcomes 13 teams from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

Led by top colleagues in the field, students and educators will explore instructional avenues and ideas that stress problem solving and student engagement in robotics with judges who have engineering and other STEM backgrounds.

With 2.4 million STEM jobs still unfilled, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for highly skilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workers is high. Competitions like the NRSC program expand awareness of robotics to fulfill the growing need of STEM fields in future generations.

Harry Wood of NRSC, says “We are thrilled to be spearheading this effort to provide STEM skills for deaf and hard of hearing students in a fun and engaging way, and we believe this will prepare them to take the first steps towards successful careers beyond high school.”

NRSC will also host a high school tournament later in February at the Alabama School for the Deaf (Talladega).

WHAT: VEX IQ @ TSD Robotics Tournament
WHEN: Friday, February 7, 2020
Preliminaries – closed to the public
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Free – open to the public
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Seeger Gym
Texas School for the Deaf (TSD)
1102 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704

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ABOUT THE NRSC

The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind collaborated with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to form the NRSC. The mission of the NRSC is to promote STEM education and career awareness among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) students and teachers in twelve states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Certain programs such as robotics are also offered nationwide. The NRSC is always looking for more schools to get involved. Information about the NRSC and its programs, including robotics, can be found at http://www.aidb.org/nrsc?.

ABOUT THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (TSD)

The Texas School for the Deaf is the oldest continuously operating public school in Texas. Educating deaf and hard of hearing students of Texas since 1856, the campus also provides outreach and educational resources for students, their families and professionals in the field throughout the state of Texas. With educational excellence and a strong belief in a culture and community at TSD, students form a unique identity based on their individual strengths and talents. TSD is an environment where students learn, grow, and belong. For more information about the Texas School for the Deaf, visit http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/.

Keena Miller | Outreach & Community Relations
[email protected]

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