Valley Tech robotics team receives $3,000 grant from Bayer Fund – Grafton News

UPTON — The robotics team at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School is the proud recipient of a grant.

Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, recently awarded a onetime $3,000 grant supporting Team 61, The Intimidator’s participation in the FIRST Robotics competitions to enhance their skills in science and engineering.

Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education, and community development projects. This grant will allow students to participate in FIRST Robotics educational programs and competitions. FIRST enables teams of students to compete with others in building, designing, and programming their own robots to perform pre-assigned tasks, giving students a chance to get involved with real-world engineering.

“As a Bayer Fund grant recipient, Team 61 will enhance their skills in science and engineering,” said Robotics Team Advisor Michael Norton. “Our students will participate in FIRST Competitions in March utilizing the Bayer Fund funding at the 2023 NE District SE Mass Event FIRST Robotics Competition in Bridgewater, MA, and the Western NE Event in Springfield, MA.”

Bayer Fund’s sponsorship of FIRST Robotics teams continues the nonprofit’s intentional support of programs that improve STEM education. Over the past five years, Bayer Fund has contributed more than $35 million to STEM outreach efforts.

“The FIRST Robotics program helps provide the necessary skills for young students to become STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) leaders,” said Al Mitchell, president of Bayer Fund. “This program not only inspires innovation but provides life capabilities such as communication and self-confidence. Bayer Fund is proud to provide grants to student teams to encourage their development into future scientists, engineers and computer programmers.”