Iowa Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)

The FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) provides high school aged students with engineering experience, designing a dorm refrigerator-sized robot to compete and cooperate in a unique game setting with limited time and resources. Participation in an FRC Regional is life-changing for the students involved. As host of the Iowa FRC Regional for the last 3 years, the University of Northern Iowa administration, faculty, staff, and students have supported this event and the teams in multiple ways from providing the Dome and McLeod Center to serving as event volunteers and judges. UNI has even partnered with the Cedar Falls FRC Team, 525 Coach, Kenton Swartley to provide professional development for new FRC Coaches. In 2018, the Iowa FRC Regional was recognized with the Event of the Year, Cedar Valley Tourism Award, for boosting the local economy by bringing in over 1,800 students, more than 90% of which came from over 40 miles away. Our presentation will focus on the benefits of hosting the FRC in the Cedar Valley and the contributions of UNI faculty, staff and students to the event.