After claiming victory during one of five qualifying matches across Mississippi, 21 teams of high school robot builders will go head-to-head at the University of Mississippi on Feb. 8 during the FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Tournament hosted by the UM’s Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE).

A statewide tournament, the match up will begin at 8 a.m. at UM’s Jackson Avenue Center. The event is the second statewide robotics tournament ever hosted in Mississippi. This year’s game is called FTC Block Party where high school students maneuver their home built robots on a 12’ by 12’ course featuring a bridge and pendulums with baskets. Among other challenges, students must fill the baskets with blocks and attempt to balance the pendulum.

Supporting and expanding high school robotics competitions has been a significant outreach project led by the CMSE since 2012. The number of high schools across the state now supporting a robotics team has grown from four in 2012 to 21 in 2013 to 43 this year, according to CMSE Project Manager Mannie Lowe.

Winning teams at the event will go on to compete in the South Super Regional Championship in San Antonio from February 26 through 28.

The FTC tournament is supported by the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, organization based in Manchester, N.H. Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, the nonprofit’s mission is to inspire an interest in mathematics and science in young people.

Students participating in FTC events in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Russia and the Netherlands have the opportunity to apply to FIRST Scholarship Program with offers more than $16 million in different funding opportunities at partner universities.

For more information about the tournament and the organization, visit http://www.usfirst.org.