Cary, IL, USA - Coilcraft announced today that it has joined forces with FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, as a Bronze Supplier of the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®). FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students to discover the excitement of science, technology, engineering and math and the rewards a career in STEM can bring.

On Jan. 3, 2015, 2,400 teams of high school students were shown the new RECYCLE RUSH^SM game playing field and received a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, pneumatic components, and a mix of automation components. Coilcraft provided all the inductors for the Kit of Parts, which were specified by the KOP design team for the Voltage Regulator. The donated parts included a number of their XAL Family high-current, shielded power inductors along with their MLC1245 shielded power inductor.

Working with adult Mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge. Once these young inventors create a robot, their teams participate in competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

“The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. As a Bronze Supplier, Coilcraft provides tools that aid in experiential learning and allows FIRST to offer participants a glimpse of what it’s like to be a real engineer,” said FIRST President, Donald E. Bossi.

According to Len Crane, Director of Technical Marketing at Coilcraft, “We’ve been supporting college-level engineering students and educators for years by providing free samples of our RF and power magnetics products, but we haven’t had many opportunities to help younger students explore STEM-related projects. So we were very excited when the folks at FIRST asked for our support with the 2015 FRC Kit of Parts.”

By providing components for the competition, FIRST Suppliers are putting the latest technology into the hands of students, giving them the opportunity to apply the same tools used by professional scientists and engineers and, ultimately, helping them learn real-world skills they will carry into the workplace.

About 75,000 students from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, U.A.E., and the U.K. will compete in 48 District Events, 5 District Championships, and 56 Regional Events in five countries - all leading up to the 2015 FIRST Championship at the Edward Jones Dome, April 22-25, in St. Louis. This season, participating FIRST Robotics Competition high school students are eligible to apply for nearly $20 million in scholarships from 170 colleges and universities.

For more information on Coilcraft’s involvement in the 2015 FIRST® Robotics Competition, contact Len Crane, +1-847-639-6400, lcrane@coilcraft.com.

About Coilcraft

Headquartered outside of Chicago in Cary, Illinois, Coilcraft is a leading global supplier of magnetic components including high performance RF chip inductors, power magnetics and filters. In addition to a large selection of standard components, Coilcraft also designs and builds custom magnetics to fit a customer’s exact electrical requirements.

Engineers and buyers consider Coilcraft a preferred supplier because of its reputation for quality, reliable delivery, engineering support and the superior performance of our products. In independent surveys, engineers consistently rank Coilcraft the number one magnetics company they would recommend to a friend.

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge,and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $20 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST®LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

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