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Contact: Van Tran 816-756-3580 ext. 4244
February 21, 2008

FIRST Robotics Documentary Features Area High School Students

Assembly Required Premieres Thursday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. on KCPT


(KANSAS CITY) --- Extra-curricular activities in high schools are no longer limited to mainstream activities including sports, debate and musical programs. In high schools in the Kansas City area and across the country, students are participating in an intriguing extra-curricular activity that rivals the thrill of any sporting event, FIRST Robotics.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics is a competition that challenges high school aged young people - working with professional mentors - to design, build a robot and compete in an intense event in just six weeks.
The program was the vision of inventor Dean Kamen. The inventor wanted to "...create a world where science and technology are celebrated...where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."

Award-winning KCPT producer Angee Simmons and videographers Don Mayberger and Dave Burkhardt followed three area high school robotics teams - Shawnee Mission North, Raytown South and Liberty - as they competed in the program.

In Assembly Required, KCPT documents the thrilling highs and lows of these three teams on their arduous six-week path to the Kansas City Regional Robotics Competition. The documentary is hosted and narrated by Shawnee Mission West High School Junior, Emily Vance and premieres Thursday, February 28 at 8 p.m.

Production funding was provided by Kauffman Foundation and DST Systems.

For more information about FIRST Robotics or Assembly Required, visit www.usfirst.org or www.KCPT.org/assembly.
--KCPT--