The Third Annual Mississippi FTC Robotics Championship will take place at UM’s Oxford campus on Saturday, February 21.

Hosted by the Center for Mathematics and Science Education, the event will begin at 8 a.m. at the Jackson Avenue Center.

This year’s event will feature 22 teams of high school students from across the state competing in a robotics competition called “Cascade Effect.” In the game, students pilot robots they’ve constructed and designed to move different size whiffle balls with the objective of filling three different sized cylinders.

“The competition has been fantastic so far this year,” said CMSE Project Manager Mannie Lowe. “We’ve held five qualifier matches all over the state. Each one of them was exciting.”

Expanding high school robotics programs has been a major 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 47 today, according to Lowe.

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.

At least four teams from the state will qualify to attend the South Super Regional tournament to be held in San Antonio, TX on March 11-13.

Volunteers are needed to help staff the Championship (especially Judges and Referees).  Interested parties should contact Lowe at mlowe@olemiss.edu.