FRANKFORT, Ky., – Three Eastern Kentucky schools are the recipients of Kentucky Power grants totaling $7,250 awarded to support robotics teams at their schools. Belfry High School on Wednesday received a $6,000 FIRST grant. R.W. Combs School in Happy was awarded a $500 FIRST LEGO League grant and a $250 Junior FIRST Lego League grant, while Pikeville Elementary School received a $500 LEGO League grant.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multi-national robotics competition that teams professionals and high school students to solve an engineering problem in an intense and competitive way. The brainchild of Dean Kamen, entrepreneur and inventor of the Segway gyroscopic personal electric scooter, FIRST competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events demonstrating participants’ success in brainstorming, teamwork and meeting deadlines.
FIRST LEGO League, modeled after the FIRST competition for high schools, is designed for students in grades 4-8. A partnership between the LEGO toy company and FIRST, FIRST LEGO League brings the excitement and rewards of science, math and technology learning using real-world context and hands-on experimentation that opens up career possibilities. The Junior FIRST LEGO League is a companion program for students in grades K-3. It focuses on building an interest in science in engineering through hands-on activities.
The FIRST robotics grant initiative is one of several programs sponsored by Kentucky Power and its parent company, American Electric Power, to support pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education with an emphasis on science, math and technology education and careers.
“Kentucky Power is critically aware of the need for strong science and technology education programs,” said Greg Pauley, Kentucky Power’s president and COO. “We are proud to help students and school leaders in Eastern Kentucky as they pursue firsthand experiences in science and technology and explore career opportunities.”
AEP awarded funding to more than 100 FIRST robotics program teams across its 11-state service territory for 2015-2016. Recipients must apply to receive a grant. More information can be found at www.usfirst.org.
Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Frankfort, Ky., provides service to approximately 172,000 customers in all or part of 20 eastern Kentucky counties. It is a unit of the AEP system, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S.