Special Olympics Unified Robotics Championship Shines the Spotlight on Inclusion and Ingenuity

Pacific Science Center hosts third annual championship on November 18 – whose robot will reignsupreme?


Seattle, Washington, Nov. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, Nov. 18, students from across Western Washington will gather for the Special Olympics Unified Robotics Championship. Engineered to promote inclusion andignite a passion for STEM through the sport of robotics, Special Olympics Unified Robotics brings together students with diverse abilities, including individuals with and without intellectual disabilities, to collaborate and build competitive robots.

WHAT: Special Olympics Unified Robotics Championship
40 teams, each made up of students with and without intellectualdisabilities, will compete in a friendly “Battle Bots”-style tournament tocrown the 2018 champion.

WHERE: Pacific Science Center, Ackerley Gallery
200 Second Avenue NorthSeattle, WA 98109

WHEN: Sunday, November 1810:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

NOTE: Space is limited. To accommodate additional spectators, Pacific Science Center will project the competition in Building 2.
In the lead up to the championship, students participated in a six-week build program during which theywere exposed to engineering and software programming. Middle school, high school and collegestudents representing schools in Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Mukilteo, Seattle, Snohomish and Tacoma will compete in the 2018 championship.The Special Olympics Washington Unified Robotics program is made possible through the generoussupport of FIRST Robotics, Microsoft, Pacific Science Center and the Real Networks Foundation. Like the values of teamwork, inclusion and collaboration that the Unified Robotics program models, these partners came together to provide equipment, technology expertise, volunteers and resources tobenefit more than 150 students, educators and coaches who are participating in this year’s program.For more information on the Special Olympics Unified Robotics program and its impact on students in Washington State, please visit https://news.microsoft.com/features/robotics-program-shines-a-light-on-differing-abilities/.

For more information on the championship event, including the tournament schedule, please go to http://specialolympicswashington.org/event/2018-unified-robotics-championship/ 

For volunteer opportunities at the event, please visit the Special Olympics Washington volunteer page.

About Special Olympics Washington
Special Olympics Washington provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for 18,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. For more information on Special Olympics Washington, please visit www.specialolympicswashington.org and follow on Facebook (@SpecialOlympicsWa); Twitter (@SO_Washington); Instagram(@specialolympicswashington).

About Special Olympics Unified Robotics
Unified Robotics is a Seattle-based national robotics program that unites students of diverse abilities as teammates and competitors on the game field, promoting inclusion with hands-on learning andcollaborating in a neurodiverse environment. The program was conceived in 2015 by King’s High School student, Delaney Foster, when she brought her FIRST Robotics teammates to Roosevelt High School to work alongside students with special needs to build robots. Delaney’s sister, Kendall, has autism and Delaney, inspired by Special Olympics Unified Sports, has been a life-long advocate of inclusive education. For more information visit http://unifiedrobotics.org/.


            

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