Ingenuityne Inc

INGENUITYNE, INC. WAS FORMED TO INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, BY ENGAGING THEM IN EXCITING MENTOR-BASED PROGRAMS THAT BUILD SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS, THAT INSPIRE INNOVATION, AND THAT FOSTER WELL-ROUNDED LIFE CAPABILITIES INCLUDING SELF-CONFIDENCE, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP.

THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION (FRC) DIRECTLY SERVED APPROXIMATELY 5,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON 184 TEAMS. WORKING WITH MENTORS, EACH TEAM BUILDS A ROBOT IN SIX WEEKS FROM A KIT OF COMMON PARTS, DESIGNING IT TO MEET THIS YEAR'S GAME CHALLENGE, "INFINITE RECHARGE." ON MARCH 11, 2020, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. LOCAL, U.S. AND WORLD GOVERNMENTS ENCOURAGED SELF-ISOLATION TO CURTAIL THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 BY MANDATING THE TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF BUSINESS IN MANY SECTORS AND IMPOSING LIMITATIONS ON TRAVEL AND THE SIZE AND DURATION OF GROUP GATHERINGS. AS A RESULT, ON MARCH 12, 2020 NEW ENGLAND FIRST ANNOUNCED THE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF THE REMAINDER OF THE FIRST EVENT SEASON AND THE CANCELLATION OF BOTH CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS. WHILE MANY EVENTS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, SOME TEAMS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OR MORE 2 TO 3 DAY EVENTS AT KEY NEW ENGLAND LOCATIONS, COMPETING FOR AWARDS FOR GAME SCORES, SAFETY PRACTICES, TEAMWORK AND OTHER QUALITATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS, STRESSING THE VALUES OF COOPERATION AND INCLUSION. THE FRC PROGRAM PROVIDED STUDENTS WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF APPLYING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC CHALLENGE UNDER A TIME CONSTRAINT. THIS EXPERIENCE DEVELOPED STUDENTS' TECHNICAL SKILLS, TEAMWORK AND THE ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE SATISFACTIONS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS OF A REAL ENGINEERING PROJECT. PARTICIPATION IN FRC HAS INSPIRED MANY STUDENTS TO GO ON TO COLLEGE, PURSUING CAREERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. MANY FRC COACHES AND MENTORS WORK IN THESE FIELDS AND HELP THE STUDENTS DEVELOP BONDS WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND CONNECTIONS TO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE.

THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE (FLL CHALLENGE) REACHED APPROXIMATELY 4,000 STUDENTS AGED 9-16, ON 953 TEAMS THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND. THE YEAR'S CHALLENGE WAS CALLED "CITY SHAPER." TEAMS WORKED ON GAME CHALLENGES USING EITHER LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 OR LEGO EDUCATION SPIKE PRIME TECHNOLOGY, APPLYING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING TO: IDENTIFY A PROBLEM WITH A BUILDING OR PUBLIC SPACE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, DESIGN A SOLUTION AND SHARE THAT SOLUTION WITH OTHERS AND THEN REFINE IT. THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE EXPLORE (FLL EXPLORE) PROGRAM SERVED OVER 1,500 STUDENTS AGED 6-9, ON 339 TEAMS THROUGH A WEB BASED GAME CHALLENGE CALLED "BOOMTOWN BUILD." USING THEIR IMAGINATION AND LEGO EDUCATION WEDO 2.0, TEAMS EXPLORED THE GROWING NEEDS AND CHALLENGES OF THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY BY CREATING A BUILDING WITH THE PURPOSE OF SOLVING A PROBLEM AND MAKING LIFE EASIER, HAPPIER, OR MORE CONNECTED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT USE IT. PARTICIPATION IN FLL CHALLENGE AND FLL EXPLORE HAS ENGAGED STUDENTS IN A COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO ADDRESS SERIOUS ISSUES, ENHANCING THEIR EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH, AND EXPOSING THEM TO A STEM CAREER. BY PROGRESSING THROUGH EACH PROGRAM AND ULTIMATELY TO FRC, STUDENTS GAIN A FULL SUITE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS AND ONGOING ENCOURAGEMENT, MAKING IT MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WILL PURSUE CAREERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH.

THE FIRST TECH CHALLENGE (FTC) SERVED APPROXIMATELY 2,500 YOUTHS FROM AGES 1218 ON 267 TEAMS. LIKE THE FRC PROGRAM, FTC IS A DESIGN AND BUILD EXPERIENCE, BUT USES A SMALLER KIT AND LESS COMPLICATED GAME CHALLENGE. IN THIS YEAR'S GAME, "SKYSTONE," EACH TEAM BUILT A ROBOT AND PARTICIPATED IN A STATE TOURNAMENT. FTC PROVIDES AN EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO THE FRC PROGRAM, BUT IS MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO A BROADER AUDIENCE OF EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS, IN PART BECAUSE OF ITS LOWER COST. THE FTC EXPERIENCE SIMULATES THE EXCITEMENT AS WELL AS THE PRESSURE OF A REAL LIFE ENGINEERING PROJECT, DEVELOPING NOT ONLY THE STUDENTS' TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW, BUT ALSO LEADERSHIP, COOPERATION, ABILITY TO PLAN, PATIENCE, AND TEAMWORK. LIKE THE FRC PROGRAM, FTC ENRICHES THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS' ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE SATISFACTIONS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS OF A REAL ENGINEERING PROJECT. THE FTC EXPERIENCE EXPANDS STUDENTS' INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH, AND INSPIRES MANY TO GO ON TO A HIGHER EDUCATION. LIKE THE FRC PARTICIPANTS, STUDENTS IN THE FTC PROGRAM ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SOME OF THE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. BY PROGRESSING THROUGH EACH PROGRAM AND ULTIMATELY FRC, STUDENTS GAIN A FULL SUITE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS AND ONGOING ENCOURAGEMENT, MAKING IT MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WILL PURSUE CAREERS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

INGENUITYNE, INC. PROVIDES ROBOTICS PROGRAMS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CONNECTICUT.