SAGINAW, Mich. – Dec. 6, 2016 – Nexteer Automotive, a global leader in intuitive motion control, hosted the “Nexteer Ready, Set, LEGO!” qualifying tournament Saturday, Dec. 3 at Freeland High School. Thirty-five teams comprised of more than 300 students, ages 9 to 14, competed for advancement to the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Michigan Championship. The teams tested their LEGO MINDSTORMS® robots in several challenges encouraging problem solving, critical thinking and team-building skills.
Following the qualifying tournament, nine teams will proceed to the Michigan FLL championship tournament planned for Dec. 10, 2016 at Carman-Ainsworth Middle School in Flint, Mich. Nexteer-sponsored teams including Christ Connectors (Christ the King Lutheran School in Unionville, Mich.), Brain Teasers (Marshall Greene Middle School in Birch Run, Mich.), Red Panda Prodigies (Adams Elementary School in Midland, Mich.), LegoForce (Freeland Elementary School in Freeland, Mich.) and Party Animals (Hampton Elementary School in Bay City, Mich.) have advanced to the state finals. In addition, the Red Panda Prodigies won the Champions’ Award, which is the tournament’s highest honor.
“Nexteer’s sponsorship of FIRST LEGO League aligns with our company-wide initiative of promoting STEM education in today’s youth and sparking an interest to pursue a future career in a related field,” said Bob Lipscomb, project manager, Nexteer Automotive. “We recognize the demand for scientific innovation, creativity and thought leadership within the global marketplace. Our challenge is to show children that they can have fun learning to solve real-world problems through creative ways like robotics and sensor technology.”
The 2016 season is Nexteer’s 16th year of sponsoring FLL. In addition to sponsorship dollars totaling to approximately $50,000, Nexteer Automotive also engages in a hands-on approach, mentoring teams located in the Great Lakes Bay Region. This year, Nexteer employees mentored 11 teams and the company sponsored an additional 10 teams throughout the season. At Saturday’s qualifying tournament, more than 50 Nexteer employees volunteered their time to orchestrate the event.
ABOUT FIRST LEGO LEAGUE MICHIGAN
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is part of Michigan’s FIRST family of programs positioned as an upper elementary program (Grade 4 through end of elementary school). It is a partnership between the LEGO Group and FIRST committed to creating robotic competition programs that will excite and inspire children to excel in math and science. For more information, visit www.firstinmichigan.org/fll/
ABOUT NEXTEER
Nexteer Automotive – A Leader in Intuitive Motion Control – is a multi-billion dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies for original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 24 manufacturing plants, five regional engineering centers and 11 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Group, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China. nexteer.com
