Tom Price: “this past Friday I had a wonderful opportunity to witness, firsthand, America's innovative spirit in action. An…”

“this past Friday I had a wonderful opportunity to witness, firsthand, America's innovative spirit in action. An organization named For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, FIRST, held its 15th annual Robotic Competition Championship in Atlanta. Founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, FIRST is a world-renowned organization that promotes the study and application of science, math, engineering and technology. Over the 3 days of competition, 28,000 participants from seven different countries took part, including students from Wheeler High School in my own district. During the events, students were immersed in an intense competitive environment where they employed innovative solutions to solve real-life engineering problems in a sports-like activity. Teamwork, ingenuity, flexibility and cooperation are all rewarded. In a continually evolving and competitive global market, Americans must work to retain our time-honored spirit of scientific leadership. Math and science are invaluable pillars of a strong education; and our schools, in coordination with organizations like FIRST, will ensure the creation of a new generation of world leaders, but only if we are proactively committed. ____________________”