Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) management and operating contractor Mission Support and Test Services (MSTS) is pleased to make a $50,991 donation to 501(c)(3) non-profit FIRST Nevada.
“FIRST Nevada is very fortunate to have the support of the Nevada National Security Site,” said President of FIRST Nevada Stephen Philpott. “Their continued donation is vital to our growth and success of FIRST STEAM educational programs, and we are honored to have them as a partner. The Nevada National Security Site recognizes the need to develop the skill sets in our youth to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.”
The funds will cover all registration costs for 83 FIRST LEGO League – Challenge and 24 FIRST Tech Challenge teams to participate in the upcoming season. FIRST LEGO League – Challenge enables students ages 9 to 14 to practice real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO®-based robots, and FIRST Tech Challenge allows students in grades 7 to 12 to design, build and program robots for a team competition.
“As a longtime supporter of FIRST Nevada, we’re proud to make it possible for 107 teams of students to continue their journey of discovery,” said MSTS President Mark Martinez. “We understand that COVID-19 has made our education system more difficult, and I want to do what I can to encourage future STEM leaders to stay challenged and engaged.”
The NNSS has been a supporter of FIRST Nevada since its founding. FIRST Nevada works to inspire young people to become leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills. More than 90 percent of FIRST students report improving their time management, problem-solving and leadership skills during FIRST programs. Program participants are 87 percent more likely to challenge themselves in a STEAM-related career field at their high school and more than 75 percent of FIRST alumni choose engineering their first year of college.
“FIRST Nevada’s partnership, since the beginning in 2005, has been vital to our growth and success of FIRST STEAM programs, and we are thrilled to have the Nevada National Security Site provide this much needed support for our teams during these difficult times,” said FIRST Nevada Founder Jean Hoppert. “We are truly grateful for our aligned vision to create a diverse workforce through STEAM education in Nevada and know that this support creates the bridge to ensure teams have the means to move forward in 2020.”