It's Like the 2010 Olympics, Except With More Robots

We're gearing up for the annual Microsoft Giving Campaign, where we will be hosting a two-part series called "Robot Olympics." Based on the popular event we hosted with TAF this summer, these Giving Campaign sessions will give Microsoft employees a taste of the programs we facilitate in local schools.

On October 9, Microsoft turns into a high-tech Nottingham Forest as we host the "Archery" event; while there will be no flying arrows, participants will have to design robots that will be able to arrive at designated targets. In "Archery," precision is the name of the game. On October 21, the "Tug of War" event will require brute strength. . . from the robots, that is. In this event, the biggest, baddest robot wins, since it will have to pull its competitor over the starting line using contestants' crafty designs and programming.

These events are only a prelude to our Annual Giving Campaign, which will be in full swing within a few months. All donations made during the Microsoft and Annual Giving Campaign will allow us to develop our program by partnering with new host sites and expand into new classrooms at existing sites. And we're making it easy for you to donate and help shape the lives of children who otherwise might not have good access to the fascinating worlds of science, engineering, technology or math: simply enter an amount and click "Donate" in the box on the right-hand side of this page.

Let the robot games begin!