CONTACT: Catharine Lamm
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DART to host area middle school Lego robotics competition at Dartmouth's Thayer School

Hanover, NH – The Dartmouth Area Robotics Tournament (DART) will host local FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League (FLL) teams for a competition on November 3, 2007 from 9am – 4pm at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. FLL calls for teams of middle-school students, ages 9 to 14, to use robotics to understand and create solutions for one of today's most critical environmental issues: energy management and conservation. With missions exploring solar panels on houses, hydro-dams, wind turbines and planting trees, teams will have to program their robots to find sustainable options to meet our planet's growing energy needs in environmentally sound ways.

"The environment is a huge concern for everyone, including kids," said Dean Kamen, FIRST founder. "Giving them a hands-on experience that allows them to use their imaginations and creativity in combination with science and technology to solve a real-world problem is empowering. It captures the true spirit of FIRST Lego League and unleashes the creative problem-solving skills today's kids need for building a better tomorrow."

DART will host the first and only FLL competition in the Upper Valley. Open to all FLL teams, it combines the energy of an FLL robotics competition with a commitment to the best tradition of scientific collaboration. Timed to be a final tune-up before the official FLL Tournament Season, it offers the chance to both practice competition and share knowledge. Many of the FLL teams are from area middle schools and are mentored by Dartmouth students.

For more information please visit http://robotics.wikidot.com/.