Relates to establishing a high school robotics grant program

• Democratic13
• Republican13

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Samra Brouk says this is needed

Robotics competitions offer students as close to real-world engineering as they can get under strict rules, limited time, and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team 'brand,' hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It is well recognized that New York needs more students in STEM to supply the growing demand for employees in these fields, Robotics compe- titions have a proven track record as robotics competition participants are more likely to show an increase in STEM regardless of race, gender, income, or community type, and they show significant gains in workforce skills. Under the robotics league participation grant program, eligible high schools may receive grants of $5,000, with preference given to Title I schools that lack the financial and community resources available to other schools then schools that have not previously participated in such competitions. This program will allow more high schools to create robot- ics programs and more students to participate in competitions, which will result in an increase in students, and ultimately members of the workforce, in STEM. Many other states have embraced this encouragement of science and technology through state grant programs, including Michi- gan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.