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NLIS 1
June 2, 2000
(Industry, Trade and Technology)


Newfoundland and Labrador team shoots and scores  to take home top international prize

High school students from the Avalon East School Board brought home a first-place finish for their team, the Vinland Berserkers, from the International Symposium on Robotics held earlier this month in Montreal. A second Newfoundland team from Stephenville, the Tree Tech Robotics, tied for fourth place. This year�s robots were designed to compete as hockey players on a model rink.

These two teams were chosen to compete in the international event after finishing first and eighth, respectively, at the Canada FIRST Robotics Competition earlier this year. At that event they competed against teams from across Canada and the Silicon Valley. The Avalon East School Board team was comprised of 102 students, while the Stephenville High School team included 30 students. A total of 10 students were selected to travel to Montreal for the event.

The International Symposium on Robotics is an annual event which exposes students to international and national organizations representative of the global robotics field. This year, participating students had the opportunity to learn about aerospace and space station robotics, industrial robotics for industries such as mining, electro-optical robotics for use in medicine, and artificial intelligence systems, among other things.

"This symposium allows young people to demonstrate their capabilities in robotics," said team coordinator and O�Donel High School teacher, Clarence Button. "These students truly were ambassadors for the province indicating our young people�s innovative capabilities."

Funding for team representatives to attend the international event was provided through the Canada-Newfoundland Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement, which is administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and provincially by the Department of Industry, Trade and Technology.

"These students further advanced their own scope of robotics by participating in the event, while raising awareness of the calibre of our young people in the area of technology," said Veterans Affairs Minister and ACOA Secretary of State George Baker. "These impressive students demonstrated that Newfoundland and Labrador can compete in the global economy and that we have the skills, drive, and knowledge to do so successfully."

"These students contributed to the province�s growing international reputation, and the magnitude of their accomplishment cannot be underestimated," added Sandra C. Kelly, Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology. "Our teams competed with the best from countries around the world and they won. That speaks volumes for our technology base, our innovation and our students."

The Canada-Newfoundland Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement is a five-year $50.14 million initiative designed to complement existing agreements and programs of the federal and provincial governments. This project received funding from the aspect of the agreement which focuses on human resource and entrepreneurship development.

Media contact:

Victoria Etchegary
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(709) 772-2984

Jackie Simon
Department of Industry, Trade and Technology
(709) 729-0050

Clarence Button
Team Coordinator
(709) 364-5305

2000 06 02                                         12:10 p.m.


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