WIT Foundation Gives $50,000 to Support 2008 FIRST Robotics Peachtree Regional, School Teams throughout State of Georgia
12 Georgia High School Teams, Three Middle School Teams Benefit from WIT Funds in Programs to Inspire Young People to Pursue Opportunities in Science and Technology

Feb. 27, 2008 - ATLANTA - The WIT Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Women in Technology (WIT), the leading association devoted to the advancement of Georgia's businesswomen in the industry, announced its second year of support to the 2008 FIRST Peachtree Regional to be held in March 13-15 at the Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center in Duluth, Georgia.

Besides event sponsorship, WIT Foundation also provided grants to 12 Georgia high school teams for this year's "FIRST Overdrive" competition. Teams were selected based upon various criteria, including meeting the goal of having 30 percent or more female team members distributed in both technical and non-technical roles. WIT Foundation also provided a grant to three Georgia middle school teams for the 2008 Fernbank FIRST LEGO League Regional Qualifier Tournament. All three teams were 100% female. WIT Foundation's total support to FIRST in 2008 exceeded $50,000.

"WIT Foundation is delighted to be able to continue our high level of support for these teams and this competition due to our belief in the power of science and technology and the impact it has on our youth. By encouraging girls to participate on FIRST programs, the WIT Foundation hopes to change the alarming shortage of women in computer science and engineering programs," said Sue Miller, President of WIT Foundation, who will serve as a judge at both the Peachtree Regional and at the FIRST Championships to be held in Atlanta this April.

U.S. high school girls comprised fewer than 15 percent of students who took the AP computer science exam in 2006, and there was a 70 percent decline in the number of incoming undergraduate women choosing to major in computer science from 2000 to 2005, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Ephraim R. McLean, Ph.D., FAIS, Department Chair in Georgia State University's Computer Information Systems Department, and a recent judge in WIT's Women of the Year in Technology Awards, agrees: "The trends are apparent. Enrollments in university programs in computer science and information systems are down dramatically all over the country for men and for women, but especially for women."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that women hold about 27 percent of jobs in computer and mathematical occupations. One of the schools benefiting from WIT Foundation support is team 1127 at Milton High School, in Milton, Ga. "WIT's sponsorship has a tremendous impact on our robotics team. Raising enough funds to compete effectively in the FIRST competitions can be a daunting task. WIT's impact has been more than financial, though. We are committed to continually increasing the percent of females on our team. Last year, our team was 30% girls. This year, almost half of our 22-person team is female, including our team's co-president and co-vice president. Many of these young women are focusing their energy on the electrical system and programming, and mentoring newer members of the team. We are proud of our association with WIT," says Suzy Crowe, Robotics Coach, Milton High School.

In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams and a single 14x14 foot playing field in a New Hampshire high school gym. This season, more than 1,500 teams - including a record 316 rookie teams - will participate. Forty-one regional competitions will lead up to the 2008 FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, April 17-19.

In this year's game, team-built robots are designed to race around a track knocking down 40" inflated trackballs and moving then around the track, passing them either over or under a 6'6" overpass. Extra points are scored by robots positioning the trackballs back on the overpass before the end of a two-minute, 15-second match.

"Georgia FIRST is indebted to the WIT Foundation for their support of this important program," said Bill McCargo, VP of Community Relations, Scientific-Atlanta Foundation, and founding chair, Georgia FIRST. "I travel nationally and regionally to speak to heads of foundations and community relations of high-tech companies. When we mention organizations that are doing the most effective job of getting young people excited about pursuing engineering, science and technology careers, FIRST always comes up as a leading program."

For more information on FIRST, visit www.usfirst.org.

About Women in Technology (WIT)

WIT is a not-for-profit organization made up of an influential community of diverse, talented professional women focused on promoting the advancement of women in the field of technology in Georgia. WIT's monthly meetings feature nationally recognized speakers who address topics on leadership and professional advancement to support women in their technology careers while also providing a valuable networking opportunity. WIT delivers programs, such as WIT Executive Coaching and WIT Mentoring Circles to enable members to hone their leadership skills and achieve visibility within the business community. WIT's philanthropic and educational programs, such as Girls Get IT, provide outreach to educate and encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in science and technology. WIT has two annual premier events, WIT Connect, WIT's annual fundraiser event and WIT's Women of the Year in Technology Awards honoring the women who lead Georgia's technology community. WIT is a founding society of the Technology Association of Georgia, an umbrella membership organization that serves the Georgia technology community. For more information on WIT and the WIT Foundation, WIT's philanthropic arm, visit www.witinc.org.

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 the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students, the FIRST LEGO® League for children 9-14 years old, and the Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year-olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

About GeorgiaFIRST

GeorgiaFIRST is the regional operation of US FIRST. Since 2003, the organization has organized the FIRST Robotics' Peachtree Regional competition, which is co-sponsored by Scientific Atlanta, A Cisco Company. More than 3,000 students are involved in FIRST programs across Georgia. GeorgiaFIRST depends on corporate, community and academic partners, all working together to support and grow FIRST programs across the state of Georgia. For more information, visit www.peachtreeregional.org.

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Editor's Note: A photo of members of the FIRST Robotics team 1127 at Milton High School is available upon request.

Media Contact:
Anne Wainscott-Sargent
WIT PR Chair
anne@annewainscott.com
678.352.0009