- Really nice adventure today… Come the new year I’m changing my job up. I’m going to start spending 25% of my time doing outreach work… One of the main things I’m going to focus on is first robotics (http://first inspired.org) I’ve been peripherally involved with first for many years but this is the first time I’m actually going to devote substantial time to it. It’s a fabulous program that introduces students as young as elementary school to the fundamentals of robotics. It’s organized as a team sport with a worldwide network of competitions. Every year there’s a new challenge at three different levels… First level is Lego, the next level is tech challenge which uses erector technique sets, and the final level which is fall out fabrication robotics. In the course of all three students get to develop technical skills like mechanical engineering, electronics, and programming… But it also includes Meta skills like Teamwork, project management, documentation and communications… And what first likes to call “gracious professionalism”
Today was the first… And so far only… First scrimmage In the state of Vermont. Eight teams from Massachusetts came up to Brattleboro Vermont to help us start to increase the skills of our small rural state. There were about 150 people there Today…
I drove down with my friend Doug The assistant engineer in Dean from UVM . He’s currently the state coordinator for first… It was great getting the time to talk to him in the 2 hour drive each way
The event was really great. It was very clear that our Vermont teams have a lot of growing to do. That said I was really impressed with all of the robots and all the teams
I’m really looking forward to helping us Really magnify Vermont’s participation in first period…
I think this is what I was born to do
Night all, nite Sam 
-me