Join Councilor Griego for 'Enchantment FIRST' Organizational Meeting

Councilor Griego Calls on Community, Education and Business Leaders to Join Him for ‘Enchantment FIRST’ Organizational Meeting Friday

New Program to Help Students Achieve in Technology

City Councilor Eric Griego is calling on community leaders, high school principals and business leaders to join him Friday for the organizational meeting of Enchantment FIRST, a new program forming in Albuquerque to encourage students to achieve in technology-education through team competitions in which students design, build and operate robots.

“This is the kind of innovative program we need, to ensure that our high-tech economy continues to grow and we have enough local talent to attract new employers and staff innovative, start-up businesses,” said Griego, who also serves as Gov. Bill Richardson’s appointed chairman of the state Economic Development Commission.

The meeting, set for Friday, April 15, from 3-5 PM at Northrop Grumman’s main facilities on Sun Avenue in Albuquerque, will allow potential mentors, participants and sponsors to learn more about the program and how they can get involved.

Enchantment FIRST is a coalition of New Mexican high schools, employers, higher education, economic-development interests, technical associations, and committed individuals working to inspire students to pursue careers in science and technology, connect students with employers and higher education, and to contribute meaningfully to the region's economic development.

"The coalition approach will employ a managed strategy to ensure both student and economic impact," said program organizer Rick Dove, CEO of Paradigm Shift International in Taos County.

Enchantment FIRST is the New Mexico employment of the program from FIRST, a non-profit organization “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” FIRST has more than 1,000 student teams participating nationally this year.

Each year, student teams design and build a robot that they take to a regional arena-style competition, typically held at a university. Southwest regional events are held in Denver and Phoenix. The competition has the excitement and character of the Olympics Games -- complete with awards, national media coverage, and typically major Discovery Channel exposure. Regional winners may go on to a National competition in Atlanta if they choose. Additionally, FIRST has an annual scholarship fund currently at $5 million.

More information is available at www.parshift.com/EnchantmentFirst and www.usfirst.org/about/.