EAST PALESTINE, Ohio - For the first time, East Palestine hosted the Mahoning Valley FIRST Technology challenge robotics competition.

The event coordinator, Andy Yantes, moved the event from Austintown to help increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in Columbiana.

Yantes said, "We were approached by the Powers foundation, and they wanted to get something started here in East Palestine. So we said ok, we will help you get your team started. I told them a really good way to grow is to have an event there. Twenty-one teams from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Indiana are competing at this FIRST Technology Challenge. Globally there are more than 6,000 teams taking part with instructions they received in September."

East Palestine's Superintendent Chris Neifer said, "This is a great opportunity for our kids to get some practical application of engineering, design, and physics. Education has changed so much that it's important our kids see the real-world applications of what we teach them in the classroom."

People can be paired up with any team in the competition.

 

Lucas D'Angelo emphasized, "It's a competition, but it's more like a large family. It really brings so many different people from many different backgrounds together." 

The event coordinator says there is over $80 million allocated for FIRST robotics kids.

 

FIRST stands for, "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology."