iSPACE is proud to once again host the state FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Championship Tournament for Ohio this  Saturday, February 18, 2012.  This internationally acclaimed program is known as “Sport for the Mind” and this year’s challenge is “Bowled Over”.

As the state coordinator and FTC partner in OH, iSPACE invites you to join us and enjoy the tournament. Admission is FREE and opening ceremony begins at 11:00 am. Qualification rounds begin immediately after and are scheduled to run through about 3:00 pm. Elimination rounds will follow with closing awards ceremony set to begin at 5:00 pm. Come and see how this exciting program engages high school students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Registration opens Friday, February 17! Stay tuned for a great summer!

Needs based scholarships will be considered – please note scholarship application must be postmarked by March 31, 2012.  Scholarship_Application_2012

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Will robots replace astronauts in space? What about jobs here on Earth? Come see what types of robots are being used by NASA in space exploration as well as robots that impact our lives every day on Earth. Family teams will be able to program an autonomous LEGO NXT Mindstorm robot and teach it to “think” by using sensors in order to master some space-faring roverbot challenges.

Who: Recommended for 5+ (an adult must attend)
What: Family night, 90 minute program
Cost: $10/person
When: Thursday, March 22, 2012
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Where: iSPACE (at Scarlet Oaks)
Register by calling 513-612-5786

February 17-18, 2012
Robot/Software Inspections Friday, February 17, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Tournament Saturday, February 18, 7:30 am

iSPACE
at Scarlet Oaks
3254 East Kemper Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Contact:  Linda Neenan
lneenan@ispacescience.org
513-612-5788 (o)
513-720-4772 (c)
or
Tom Viars
tomviars@gmail.com
513-290-6211

2012 CONSENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT Final

On behalf of the iSPACE Tournament Committee, we offer sincere thanks to all of the volunteers and coaches as well as congratulations to all the teams that participated in the iSPACE District Tournament on January 21, 2012 at iSPACE.  We especially want to recognize teams that were award winners and teams that have qualified for the Ohio State FLL Championship at Wright State University (Nutter Center) on February 4-5, 2012 . CONGRATULATIONS! Ohio (Cincinnati) District Award Winners

Check out our facebook.com page for pictures (courtesy of Will Clifford and Michael Schmidt) and more!

For more information about the state tournament see: http://edoutreach.wpafb.af.mil/Robotics/pages/fll_stchamp.html

Students in the fifth and sixth grades from both Lakota and Princeton School Districts are invited to participate in a FREE program conducted by iSPACE and made available in part by a grant from Cincinnati Bell.

When speaking with college students (and/or graduates of a technical degree) about why they entered a particular field of study, it is not uncommon to hear of a childhood experience or memory that set them off down a particular path of discovery.  Quite simply, the aim of this project is to create and/or reinforce this early experience by “getting dirty” in a hands-on workshop with professionals.

This program is about infusing students with enthusiasm, excitement (fun if you will), while challenging them to see themselves as a scientist, engineer or bio-technician and perhaps change their attitudes about STEM.  iSPACE hopes to raise questions rather than answer them.   With this spark, it is our belief that students will continue down a STEM pathway as they continue down the road to discovery.

The objective of this project is to create awareness of and interest in STEM careers through engaging activities that involve students, parents/guardians and educators.

Students will take on the role of a dentist, engineer, surgeon or other type of STEM professional each of four Saturday mornings. There will be a parent/student informational meeting on February 11 and the student career exploration sessions will be held February 25, March 3, March 24 and March 31.

Participants must register using the passcode available from your school/teachers. To Register: A Day in the Life: Stepping into a STEM Career Registration

For more information or questions, call Sue at 513-612-5786.

Area elementary and junior high school students will demonstrate their science knowledge and engineering technology skills soon at the FIRST LEGO League district competition and Junior FIRST LEGO League expo, held by iSPACE at Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville.  The competition is Saturday, January 21, from 11:30 am-4 pm.

Twenty-one FLL teams of students affiliated with Ohio public, private and home schools as well as scout troops and community teams will gather. These teams were invited to the district tournament as a result of their performance at area regional tournaments held this past November and December. Participating teams are affiliated with:

In addition, twenty-two Jr.FLL teams will participate in the “Snack Attack” Expo. These include teams from:

We invite you to attend the program, take pictures of the competition, and talk with students. This is a high-level competition; in previous years, area FIRST LEGO League projects have led to a nationally-sold device to assist disabled adults and an energy audit which saved a local school district about $600,000 in energy costs.

(Please note:  Coming up on February 18 at the Scarlet Oaks Career Campus is the FIRST Tech Challenge Regional Championship for high school students!  More information to follow)

If you’d like more information, please contact iSPACE Executive Director Linda Neenan at 513.612.5788.

About the competition:

To successfully complete the Challenge, teams of young people must conduct research and build and program a LEGO^®MINDSTORMS^â robot to explore the ways in which food can become contaminated – from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and unsafe storage – and then propose real-world solutions for preventing or combating these contaminates. Through hands-on experience and working in teams, children have a chance to explore a real-world issue to gain an appreciation for and interest in science and technology.

With missions including pollution reversal, pest control and food storage and preparation, teams will have to program their LEGO MINDSTORMS^® robots to explore the growing questions around how to safely get food from its source to consumption.

“Food Factor” was developed with the input of food safety and protection experts to provide a practical and realistic challenge project and robot missions.

The FLL competition is judged in four areas: project presentation; robot performance; technical design and programming of the robot; and teamwork, with a consideration of the FLL Core Values. The highest honor will go to the team that best exemplifies the spirit and values of the program.

In the Junior FLL Expo, FIRST introduces younger children to the exciting world of science and technology. This program features a real-world challenge to be solved by research, critical thinking, construction, teamwork, and imagination. Guided by adult coaches, teams use LEGO bricks to build a model with a motorized part and develop a coordinating poster to illustrate their journey.

About iSPACE:

Serving as a resource for the Greater Cincinnati/Tri-State region. iSPACE offers programs for students, educators and families which support and enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education that reaches beyond the formal classroom setting. iSPACE programs spark curiosity and engage interest in the sciences as well as accommodate a wide spectrum of learning styles. iSPACE is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization that has been serving the Greater Cincinnati area since 2001.  iSPACE is based on the Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville.

Two hour delay – All events/activities are running two hours behind.  Please plan accordingly.

Updated at 9:00 am January 21, 2012.