NORWICH – While their regional competition may still be weeks away, students on the Chenango County FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Team are gearing up for another season, with several new members on board this year and grant funding to help them compete at a new level.

The national FIRST Robotics program aims to inspire young people to be leaders and innovators in the fields of science and technology by engaging them in challenges that build science, engineering and technology skills through a mentor-based program that promotes self-confidence, team communication and leadership. Each year, the Chenango County FIRST Robotics Team – comprised of students, grades 9-12, from Norwich and Sherburne-Earlville high schools – work together to design and build a functioning robot that can complete a series of tasks assigned by the national FIRST Robotics organization.

What makes this year different, explained Chris Klatt, Chenango County FIRST Robotics Team mentor, is a recent $5,000 grant awarded to the team to participate in a regional competition in Troy, NY in 2014. The competition will feature scores of high school teams from across the country and internationally that will vie for best robot and bragging rights of being one of the most innovative FIRST Robotics teams in the world.

“We normally attend a regional competition at (Rochester Institute of Technology),” Klatt said. “This year, NASA offered grants to teams that go to a new regional competition; so we applied and we’ll be competing in a different region.”