Bosch Thermotechnology sponsored the New Hampshire FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championship on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, at Southern New Hampshire University. The sponsorship demonstrates the company’s commitment to fostering STEM education initiatives that inspire future generations to innovate.

FTC is based on a sports model in which teams of students in grades 7 through 12 compete against each other. Students, coaches, mentors and volunteers must develop a strategy and design, build and program their robots based on sound engineering principles. The robot kit is reusable from year to year and is programmed using a variety of coding languages.  

The contest judges rated the teams based on team interviews, the finished robot, match play and engineering notebooks that teams completed.

“Programs like FTC are imperative to the future of engineering and technology, and Bosch Thermotechnology is proud to support this event and work with such amazing students again,” said Richard Presher, human resources business partner at Bosch Thermotechnology. “With Bosch operations in Watertown and Londonderry, New Hampshire, we are excited to see students in our community excelling in areas so important for our company’s future success.”

During the event, Bosch Thermotechnology – as well as Bosch Power Tools, Bosch eBike Systems and Dremel – showcased its technologies and engaged with students and parents. Students were able to design items through TinkerCAD to print on 3D printers, ask questions about the technology and get advice on their career aspirations working in STEM and IoT.