2011 FIRST® Championship Celebrates Science, Technology and Teamwork With will.i.am and White House Technology Officer

will.i.am and Dean Kamen Matched Robotic Wits as 11,000 Students and their Robots Competed in the Annual International Robotics Celebration, April 28-30, 2011

MANCHESTER, N.H.-- Over the weekend, will.i.am, Morgan Freeman, Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer of the U.S. and 25,000 fans, families, educators and industry leaders celebrated students’ engineering prowess at the annual FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship. Three teams from San Jose, Calif.; Schaumburg, Ill.; and Atascadero, Calif., won the final showdown, earning the coveted FIRST Robotics Competition Championship Winning Alliance, April 28-30, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo.

Several other FIRST student robotics teams earned honors for design excellence, competitive play, teamwork and partnerships. A not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.

“Every year, we celebrate the achievements of the best young minds in science and innovation at the FIRST Championship,” said Kamen. "We continue to be impressed by the level of dedication, collaboration and the high caliber of problem-solving skills among our FIRST students. These young innovators will be handling the complex challenges of the 21st Century and bolstering our global economy with new research, inventions and jobs.”

This year, The Black Eyed Peas hosted a special concert to honor the FIRST students and the largest FIRST Championship contingency ever, at 25,000 attendees. For more information, visit www.usfirst.org.

Contacts:

Maureen O’Connell, 617-939-8330;moconnell@coneinc.com

Emily Carlucci, 617-939.8468; ecarlucci@coneinc.com