LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In April, 15,000 elementary, middle and high school students are expected in Louisville for the VEX Robotics World Championship, an annual robotics-engineering tournament.
The University of Louisville wants some of those future engineers to return to the city and further their studies here. To ensure that happens, UofL’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering has announced a partnership with the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation to establish an undetermined number of new scholarships for students participating in the competition. The foundation oversees the robotics championship. The total value of the scholarships is $60,000.
Students interested in the one-time, nonrenewable scholarships must participate in the VEX Robotics competition. They must apply to UofL for the scholarships by Jan. 15, 2016. To learn more about the foundation’s scholarship program and UofL’s application process and requirements, go to www.roboticseducation.org/scholarships or www.louisville.edu/admissions/aid.
The VEX Robotics World Championship will be April 15-18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The intense tournament is expected to attract more than 800 teams from 25 countries to celebrate achievements and further interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In addition to offering scholarships to participants, UofL plans to provide volunteers for the event. The university also will conduct campus tours for student exhibitors and have an exhibit during the competition. And UofL plans to start an on-campus team to participate in robotics engineering competition at the college level.
“This partnership is a natural fit as both the Speed School and VEX Robotics World Championship are passionate about engaging students interested in STEM through hands-on engineering programs,” said Speed School Dean Neville Pinto. “Speed School students, faculty and staff look forward to welcoming and supporting competitors from around the globe.”