More than 100 schools get state grants to help competitive robotics programs

Concord Monitor

December 15, 2019

By David Brooks

More than 100 schools in the state have received grants of between $900 and $12,000 each to support robotics programs, and there’s more money available.

"We're encouraging schools that maybe didn't know about this to apply," said Grant Bosse, spokesman for the state Department of Education.

This week the department announced grants totaling $522,000 to 101 public and charter schools, from elementary to high schools, to support robotics teams. The money supports both existing and new teams, and many of the schools have more than one team at different levels.

"It's not limited to FIRST," Bosse said, speaking of the international robotics competition developed by Dean Kamen of Manchester. "There are other robotics competitions, other leagues around. It’s for anybody in a competitive inter-scholastic robotics program."

The money can be used to do such things as pay for materials, training or travel to competitions. That last cost is often a stumbling block for programs, especially in rural areas, Bosse said.

The funding round is part of $1.5 million that will be distributed over two years, meaning there’s about a quarter of a million still to be distributed before the end of the school year, and another $750,000 next school year.

Most of the money comes from general funds and the department’s regular budget with some donations supporting it.

Concord-area schools that received grants include: Epsom Central School ($3,445), Bow High School ($3,986), Coe Brown Academy ($5,140), Concord High School ($5,500), Franklin High School ($7,370), Hopkinton Middle/High School ($5,000) and John Stark High School ($5,000).

To be eligible, the school must have a two-year itemized budget for the robotic program, and must have established a partnership with at least one sponsor, such as a business or college, and must participate in at least one competition each year.

For more information, contact Melissa White at Melissa.White@doe.nh.gov or 271-3855.

(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)