Watch the game animation for this year’s ‘Reefscape’ competition.

Students and employees are welcome to volunteer as the best and brightest compete in a thrilling STEM challenge.

High-school students from across Ontario are gearing up for an electrifying competition at Niagara College this March.

From March 7 to 9, NC’s Welland Campus will host more than 500 young innovators for the FIRST Robotics Competition. The unique STEM competition challenges student teams, Grades 9 to 12, to design, program, and build a robot in a themed head-to-head challenge.

NC’s own Dr. Marc Nantel, Vice-President of Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises, will serve as Judge Advisor, overseeing all the competition judges.

“As soon as I volunteered, I was hooked. A FIRST Robotics competition is like sports with robots, with all the energy and good sportsmanship that comes with it,” said Dr. Nantel, who has been judging the competitions since 2008.

The five-week-lead-up to the competition is an intense process of designing a robot – including prototyping, building, wiring, programming and testing – to meet the rigors of the game.

“To see the enthusiasm and ingenuity that these high-school students put into their robotics teams is truly inspirational,” said Dr. Nantel, whose own kids have previously competed in the competition and later pursued engineering studies.

“The skills – both technical and essential – that these students learn and practice through FIRST Robotics will follow them their whole life. And they will make them excellent recruits for Niagara College.”

Photo from previous competition.

For the College, the competition is a fantastic recruitment opportunity for the best and brightest. More than 1,000 guests, including high-school students and their families, will converge on the Welland Campus.

“At a time when domestic student recruitment is more crucial than ever, hosting this competition is a great opportunity for the College to show itself at its best: the campus, our programs, our staff and faculty, and our NC Life,” said Dr. Nantel.

Janet Allan, a member of the College’s Board of Governors, is the Volunteer Coordinator, and has served with First Robotics for over 20 years.

“As a member of the Niagara College Board of Governors, I’m impressed by the commitment that the College, and its students, have to innovate and problem solve,” said Allan, a retired Partner from KPMG LLP. “I was pleased to learn that NC offered to host a FIRST Robotics event, as they share the same goals of preparing the students of today with the skills they need for world of tomorrow.”

NC’s Community Relations and Events team, led by Sarah Scott and with the help of Michelle Wiebe, are ensuring the competition goes off without a glitch.

The robots will face-off in the Reefscape-themed game arena in the Simplii Financial Centre. The Learning Commons will serve as the “pits” for student teams to work on their robots. NC will be selling custom t-shirts to commemorate the event.

Want to see the robots in action? The FIRST Robotics competition is free for spectators.

“NC students, staff and faculty are welcome to attend,” said Allan. “And as an added benefit, it will allow spectators and guests to see, first-hand, the College’s commitment to STEM and innovation.”

Allan invites NC students and employees to volunteer in both technical and non-technical roles. To sign-up to volunteer, visit www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/event-volunteers. For questions about volunteering, email [email protected].

Niagara is home to some of the world’s best teams, and the College’s Research & Innovation division is sponsoring a local, independent team, Quickstrike, who are being mentored by the Niagara Robotics Association.

NC recently donated a retired RoamIO, a 200-kilogram robot previously used for applied research in smart-farming. The robot is now a learning tool for the next generation of STEM innovators.

Following the regional competition at NC, top innovators will progress to provincials and then world championships in April.

For more information about the First Robotics competition, visit: www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/game-and-season.